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THE 

YOUNG GARDENER'S 

CONTAINING A CATALOGUE OF 

Garden and Flower Seeds, 

WITH PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS UNDER EACH HEAD, 

FOR THE CULTIVATION OF 

CULINARY VEGETABLES 

AND 

p 2, o "WIS a s. 

FOURTH EDITION WITPI AN APPENDIX 

CONTAINIKG DIRECTIONS FOR CULTIVA.TING FRUIT TREES AND 
THE GRAPE VINE, &C. &C. 



BY T.^ BJR.IDGEMAN, 

GARDENER, SEEDSMAN ANd' B(.ORIST. >EvV-YORK. 



■ The end of all instruction, should Le the attyiJni)5T^r?r^?f;4i|eful 
knowledge." • "'" ~*"'"^>^^ 

PRINTED BY BOOTH & SMITH, 
No. 7 Wall-street. 

v> )ld by the Author; G. Thorburn & Sons; Smith & Hogg; and 
other Seedsmen and Florists ; J. Wiley ; G. &. C & H. Carvill ; 
and S. Woods & Sons, Booksellers. 

1833. 



i 



^^ One half of this edition ia bound up tvith the Appendix m 
Fruits, &c., and the remainder without, to suit purchasers. 



y z^- 



BsfTSEED ACCOEDiNG TO AcT OP CONGRESS, in the year 1S33, 
by Thomas Bbidqeman, in the Clerk's office of the District Court 
of the United States, for the Southern District of New- York, in the 
Second Circuit, 






ADVERTISEMENT 

TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



It is presumed, that this edition of the " Young Gardener'3 
Assistant," will be found generally useful to such as may wish to 
superintend, or take the management of their own gardens. The 
Author's object, as stated in the Preface to the first edition, has 
been satisfactorily accomplished, which the following statement 
of facts will show : 

One hundred and fifty copies of that edition were retailed, at 
the seed store of Messrs. Thorburn & Sons, within a month after 
it was published, and subsequently, upwards of six hundred. — 
Messrs. Smith & Co., and other Seedsmen in New-York, have 
also been successful in circulating many hundreds of them, and 
the author has been gratified by learning, that the pubUsher of the 
last edition placed upwards of six hundred copies in the hands of 
the public, within three months after they came from the press. 

The author might here cite the opinions of many practical 
gardraers in favour of the work, but after the encouragement 
given to previous editions, he is perfectly willing- that the present 
one should speak for itself. Indeed, to enumerate all the com- 
mendations passed on this humble attempt to promote useful 
knowledge, would exceed our limits. Suffice it to state, that the 
wofk has been respectfully noticed and recommended to pubhc 
patronage, by the editors of the following periodicals : The New- 
York Advocate and Journal, American, Commercial, Courier 
and Enquirer, Evening Post, Gazette, Standard and Traveller, 
the New- York Farmer, the American Farmer, and the Albany 
Argus, besides many of those periodical publications, devoted to 
agricultural pursuits, in different parts of the country. 

It appears from an article in the New- York Farmer and Hor- 
ticultural Repository, that this Uttle work has been n-iiced in 
France. The editor informs us, in page 295 of the 4th volume, 
dated Nov. 10, 1831, that "one of the leading articles in the 
second number of the present volume of the ' Annales de Vln- 
stitute Royal Horticole de Fromont^ is a long notice of the Young 
Gardener's Assistant, by Mr. Thomas Bridgeman, of this city. 
The editor, Le Chevalier Soulange Bodin, speaks of the little 
work in very commendable terms." 

It is not pretended that this work contains copious directions, 
calculated to make every man a nurseryman, or propagator of 
exotic plants ; but the author flatters himself, that it will be found 
to contain sufficient information for those who may wish to be- 



IV ADVERTISEMENT. 

come their own gardeners. The directions for the cultivation of 
vegetables, are the result of thirteen years assiduous practice and 
observation, as a market gardener ; and it is presumed that the 
author's experience in other departments of gardening, has been 
sufficient to warrant him in this attempt to instruct those who 
have not hitherto become acquainted with the art. The author 
considers it not derogatory to acknowledge, that he has frequently 
compared his ideas with those of other authors, and that he has, 
in some instances, availed himself of the benefit of their instruc- 
tions ; but he is not aware, that in so doing, he has adopted any 
ideas merely speculative ; to avoid which, he has invariably sub- 
mitted such manuscript to the scrutiny of aged and experienced 
gardeners, of his acquaintance, and the result has generally been 
such as to confirm him in his original positions. 

It must appear evident to the reader, on a review of this little 
work, that the author, in adopting the catalogue form, has been 
enabled to give as much information as is necessary to the culti- 
vation of each particular kind of vegetable, in a condensed form ; 
whereas, had he pursued the same course as most of his prede- 
cessors have done, his book would have been considerably larger, 
and the reader must have been at the trouble of perusing the 
greater part of it, at least twelve times in the coiu-se of a year. — 
The author, however, being aware of the convenience of a calen- 
dar, has, in this edition, annexed a short one, with a view to assist 
the memory of the gardener, and to show him, at one glance, that 
he may find employment in some of the departments of gard^ing 
in every month in the year. 

The author, having shown his primary object in adopting 
the catalogue form, presumes that his readers w.ll not be disap- 
pointed, if they do not find there the names of all the species or 
varieties of plants they may wish to introduce into their gardens, 
the mode of culture of such being generally alike. If a catalog*! e 
of this kind was essential, it would occupy more space than is 
allotted for this book ; besides, it would be impossible to keep 
pace with our enterprising Horticulturists and Flerists,who are 
continually introducing new species into our country. When, 
also, it is considered that there are a number of indigenous plants 
at present unknown to us, it will appear evident, that the most 
extensive catalogue would not be perfect in this respect, for any 
length of time. The author, therefore, thought it unnecessary to 
attempt any thing more, than that which is essential to the at- 
tainment of a tolerable shave of the products of the garden, 
by ordinary exertion. How far he has succeeded in this respect, 
must be left for the reader to decide. 

THOMAS BRIDGEMAN. 

Bowery Road, March, 1833. 



PREFACE 

TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



The object of this little work is to enable our res- 
pectable seedsmen, while they are furnishing a cata- 
logue of seeds for the use of the Kitchen and 
Flower Garden, to alford instructions at a trifling 
expense to such of their customers, as may not have 
a regular gardener, and thereby save themselves 
the blame of those who may not give their seeds a 
fair trial, for want of knowing how to dispose of them 
in the ground. 

The author being a seedsman himself, is aware 
that however anxious his fellow tradesmen may be 
to sell such seeds as will please their customers, 
they are sometimes charged with dishonest inten- 
tions from the failure of seed ., when the fault lies 
not with them, but with tf^e gardener. He will 
endeavor, therefore, in his himible way, to render 
himself useful, both to the sredsman and the gar- 
dener, b}^ giving brief directions for the management 
of the Kitchen Garden, in such a way as to insure 
success. In doing this he would remind the pub- 
lic, that as brevity must be consulted in this 
work, he cannot be expected, in a few pages to do 
that justice to a subject which s only to be found in 
the books of eminent hortu ulturists. He hopes, 
however, to be sufficiently ex -.licit to give his read- 
ers a taste for the pleasurable md profitable, as well 
as healthful employment of gardening, and thereby 
lead them to the perusal of ether works of a more 
extensive nature. He also intends to devote a few 
1* 



VI TREFACE. 

pages to the attention of our fair country wo men 
and direct them to a rational and delightful recrea- 
tion. To this end he will, (after furnishing a cat- 
alogue of some of the most esteemed kiiids of flow- 
er seeds,) give brief directions for promoting the 
growth of these seeds, while in the seed bed, leav- 
ing it to their own good taste and judgment to ar- 
range the plants of those beauties of nature, so as to 
set them off to the best advantage. 

The Author is aware that the occupation of gar- 
dening is attended with difficulties, but he flatters 
himself that in proportion as his readers feel inter- 
ested in the welfare, of their vegetable progeny, in 
like proportion will they obtain pleasure and satis- 
faction in their successful employment. To obtain 
this, he would recommend them to make up their 
minds as to what vegetables or flowers they intend 
to introduce into their gardens, and then, after 
having procured good seeds, let them have every 
suitable implement ready to begin the work at the 
proper seasons for preparing and planting the gar- 
den. These will be shown in the following pages, 
interspersed with directions on some other impor- 
tant subjects connected with this undertaking. 

T. BRIDGEMAN. 

Bowery Road, January, 1829. 



GENERAL REiMARKS. 

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF A KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Before I commence the Catalogue, it may be 
necessary for me to direct the reader's attention to 
some important matters essential to the good man- 
agement of a Kitchen Garden. 

The mode of laying out the ground, is a matter of 
taste, and may be left to the gardener himself ; the 
form being a thing of trifling importance in the pro- 
duction of useful vegetables, or whether the ground 
be laid out in beds of four or ten feet wide, provided 
it be well worked, and the garden kept neat and 
free from weeds. 

Those who have not a garden already formed, 
should, however, fix on a level spot where the soil 
is deep ; but as we have not always a choice, I would 
recommend the reader to that which is within the 
reach, and ought to be the object of every man, 
namely, to make the most of what he has. 

To this end, he may form a border round the 
whole garden, from five to ten feet wide, according 
to the size of the piece of land ; next to this border, 
a walk may be mane from three to six feet wide ; the 
centre part of the garden may be divided into 
squares, on the sides of which a border may be laid 
out three or four feet wide, in which the various 
flowering plants may be raised, unless a separate 
flower garden is intended. The centre beds, may 
be planted with all the various kinds of vegetables 
as well as Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries, 
Strawberries, &c. The outside borders facing the 



2 GENERAL REMARKS. 

East, South and West, will be useful for raising the 
earliest fruits and vegetables, and the North border 
being shady and cool, will serve for raising, and 
pricking out such young plants, slips and cuttings 
as require to be screened from the intense heat of 
the sun. It may be necessary to state further, that 
though shady situations are useful for the pi.ipose 
of raising Celery, Cabbage and other small plants, 
slips &c., in the summer season, that all standard 
trees should be excluded from a Kitchen Garden, 
for the following reasons : — First, their roots spread 
so widely and imbibe so much moisture from the 
ground that little is left for the nourishment of any 
plant within the range of their influence ; — Second- 
ly, when in full leaf they shade a large space and 
obstruct the free circulation of air, so essential to 
the well being of all plants; — Thirdly, the drop- 
ping of trees is particularly injurious to whatever 
vegetation it falls upon. 

Previous to entering on the work of the garden, 
the gardener should lay down rules for his future 
government. In order to this, he should provide 
himself with a blank book. In this book he should 
first lay out a plan of his garden, allotting a place 
for all the different kinds of vegetables he intends 
to cultivate. As he proceeds in the business of plant- 
ing his grounds, if he were to keep an account of 
every thing he does relative to his garden, he would 
soon obtain some knowledge of the art. This the 
writer has done for the last twelve years, and he 
flatters himself that a publication of the results of 
his practice, will be interesting and useful to his 
readers. 

If gardeners were to make it a ride to record the 
dates and particulars of their transactions relative 
to tillage and planting, &c., they would always 
know when to expect their seeds to come up, and 



GENERAL REMARKS. 6 

how to regulate their crops for succession ; and, 
when it is considered that plants of the Brassica or 
Cabbage tribe, are apt to get infected at the roots il 
too frequently planted in the same ground, and that 
a rotation of crops in general is beneficial, it will 
appear evident that a complete register of every 
thing relative to culture is essential to the well be- 
ing of a garden. 

One great article to be attended to is, to have a 
supply of good old manure and other composts 
ready to incorporate with the earth ; also a portion 
of ashes, soot, tobacco dust and lime, for the purpose 
of sowing over seed beds in dry weather ; this will 
tend in a great measure to destroy insects, which 
sometimes cut off the young plants as fast as they 
come up. 

If the ground cannot be all manured every year 
as it should be, it is of primary importance that 
those vegetables be provided for which most need 
manure. A perusal of the catalogue will enable 
the young gardener to judge of the kinds of garden 
products which require most. Lest I should not 
have been explicit enough in this particular, I would 
inform him, that good rich manure is indispensably 
necessary for the production of Brocoli, Cauliflower, 
Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinage, Onions, Radishes and 
Salads in general. 

In the event of a scanty supply of manure, those 
kinds of vegetables which are raised in hills or 
drills, may be provided for by disposing of the ma- 
nure immediately under the seeds or plants. 

The next important matter is to have ground in 
suitable condition to receive the seed. I would 
wish it to be understood, that I am an advocate for 
early sowing and planting, even at the risk of los- 
ing a little seed, provided the ground be fit to re- 
ceive it. A light sandy soil will be benefitted if 



4 GENERAL REMARKS. 

worked when moist, as such treatment will have a 
tendency to make it more compact ; on the con- 
trary, if a clay soil be worked when too wet, it 
kneads like dough, and never fails to bind when 
drought follows, and this not only prevents the seeds 
from rising, but injures the plants materially in 
their subsequent .growth, by its becoming impervi- 
ous to the moderate rains, dews, air and influence 
of the sun, all which are necessary to the promo- 
tion of vegetation. 

Some gardeners, as well as some writers, recom- 
mend certain fixed days for sowing and planting 
particular kinds of seeds ; I think it necessary to 
guard my readers from being misled. The failure 
of crops may be often attributed to the observance 
of certain days for sowing. If some kinds of seeds 
be sown when the ground is wet and cold, they will 
become chilled in the ground, and seldom vegetate. 
If they be sown in very dry weather, the germina- 
tive parts of the seed may become injured by the 
burning rays of the sun, or the young plants may 
get devoured by insects as fast as they come up. 
To obviate these difficulties, I have generally al- 
lowed a week or ten days for the sowing of the 
seeds, intending the medium as the proper time for 
the vicinity of New-York. With this clearly borne 
in mind, the reader, who observes the difference in 
the degrees of heat and cold in the different parts of 
the country, svill know how to apply these instruc- 
tions accordingly. 

Much depends on the manures used on particular 
kinds of soils The great art of improving sandy 
and clayey soils, is to give the former such dressings 
of clay, cow dung and other kinds of manure, as 
will have a tendency to bind and make them more 
compact, and consequently more retentive of moist- 
ure ; and to the latter, coats of horse dung, ashes, 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



»and, and such other composts as may tend to se- 
parate the particles and open the pores of the clay so 
as to cause it to approach as near as possible to a 
loam. 

The nearer the ground approaches to a sandy 
soil, tlie less retentive will it be ot moist are ; the 
more to a clayey, the longer will it retain it ; and 
the finer the particles of which the clay is compos- 
ed, the more tenacious will it be of water, and con- 
sequently be longer in drying, and the harder when 
dry ; but earth of a consistence that will hold water 
the longest, without hecomhig hard when dry, is that 
of all others, the best adapted for raising the gener- 
ality of plants in the greatest perfection. This last 
described soil is called loam, and is a medium earth, 
between the extremes of clay and sand. 

I have in most cases recommended drills to be 
made at certain depths for the ditferent kinds of 
seeds, and when I have stated that the drills should 
be two inches deep, it is intended that the seeds 
should be covered only one inch, which they w^ill 
be when planted in these drills and covered — and 
so in proportion for any other depth required. This 
may serve as a guide to the young gardener, but 
circumstances alter cases ; if for instance, some 
particular crops should fail, this would render it ne- 
cessary, if the season be far advanced, to risk a fur- 
ther planting of seeds, even if the weather be hot 
and the ground dry ; if these be planted a little 
deeper, they may escape the violent heat of the sun, 
and in the event of a shower, the ground would be- 
come sufficiently moist to bring them up ; whereas, 
it sometimes happens, that seed sown after a show- 
er do not vegetate until after the season is too far 
advanced to bring the crop to perfection. 

The work of driUing maybe performed in various 
ways ; in some cases a plough is used, in others a 



6 GENERAL REMARKS. 

small hoe, or a dibble drawn along the edge of a 
board or line ; it is of little consequence which way 
the work is done, if it be well done. While I leave 
the gardener to make his own choice of tools, 1 
would suggest that he be provided with two or three 
drilling machines ; these, every handy man may 
make for himself; they should be in the form of a 
garden rake, with a stout heavy back and five teeth 
two inches broad, and tapered so as to enter the 
ground and leave drills two inches deep. If one 
be made with the teeth eight inches apart, another 
twelve,|and another fourteen, they will be useful in 
making drills for various seeds, and drills thus made, 
serve instead of straining a line, for every row in 
planting Cabbage, Lettuce, Leeks, &c., the line 
being strained at one edge of the bed, and the dril- 
ling machine drawn strait by the line, makes five 
drills at once. If they are straight they may be 
kept so, by keeping one drill open for the outside 
tooth to work in until the ground be all drilled. 

Gardeners practice different methods of covering 
up seeds, some do it with a hoe, others with a rake 
or harrow ; some draw a portion of the earth to the 
side of the bed, and after sowing the seeds, return 
it regularly over the bed ; in some particular cases 
a sieve is used, in others a roller. Rolling or tread- 
ing in seeds is necessary in dry seasons, but it should 
never be done when the ground is wet. 

There is nothing that protects young crops of 
Turnips, Cabbages and other small plants from the 
depredations of the fly, so well as rolling ; for when 
the surface is rendered completely smooth, these in- 
sects are deprived of the harbour they would other- 
wise have under the clods and small lumps of earth. 
This method will be found more effectual than 
soaking the seed in any preparation, or dusting the 
plants with any composition whatever ; but as the 



GENERAL REMARKS. • 7 

roller must only be used previous to, or at the time 
of sowing the seed, and not even then if the ground 
be wet; it is necessary thatthe gardenershould have 
a hogshead always c;t hand in dry weather contain- 
ing infusions made of waste tobacco, lime, soot, cow 
dung, elder, burdock leaves, &c. A portion of 
these ingredients, or any other preparation that is 
pernicious or poisonous to insects, without injuring 
the plants, thrown into a hogshead kept filled up 
with water, if used moderately over beds of young 
])lants in dry weather, would, in almost every case, 
insure a successful crop. 

As liquid however cannot be conveniently used on 
a large piece of land, it may be necessary, if insects 
are numerous, to sow tobacco dust mixed with 
road dust, soot, ashes, lime or the dust of charcoal, 
in the proportion of half a bushel per acre, every 
morning, until the plants are free or secure from 
their attacks. Turnip seed will sometimes sprout 
in forty eight hours, Cabbage seed ought to come 
up within a week after it is sown ; but it sometimes 
happens that the whole is destroyed before a plani 
is seen above ground ; the seedsman, in this case, is 
often blamed without a cause. A correspondent 
has communicated the result of an experiment he 
has tried for preventing the attacks oftlies or fleas 
on Turnips. He says, steep your seeds in a pint of 
warm water for two hours, in which is infused 1 oz, 
of saltpetre ; then dry the seed and add .currier's 
oil sufficient to v\'et the whole, after which mix it 
with plaster of Paris so as to separate and render it 
fit for sowing. 

In the summer season, Brocoli, Cabbage, Cauli- 
flower, &c., are particularly subject to the ravages ol 
grubs and caterpillers ; to prevent this wholly is 
perhaps impossible, but it is not difficult to check 
these troublesome visitors ; this may be done, h\ 
2 



8 GENERAL REMARKS. 

searching for them on their first appearance and 
destroying them ; early in the morning grubs may 
be collected from the earth, within two or three 
inches of such plants as they have attacked the night 
previous. The approach of caterpillers is disco- 
verable, on the leaves of Cabbages, many of which 
are reduced to a thin white skin, by the minute 
insects which emerge from the eggs placed on 
them ; these leaves being gathered and throw^n in- 
to the fire, a whole host of enemies may be destroy- 
ed at once ; whereas, if they are suffered to remain, 
they will increase so rapidly, that in a few days, the 
plantation, however extensive, may become infested ; 
now, when once these arive at the butterfly or 
moth stage of existance, they become capable of 
perpetuating their destructive race to an almost 
unlimited extent. The same remarks apply to all 
other insects in a torpid state. Worms, maggots, 
snails or slugs, may be driven away by sowing salt 
or lime in the Spring, in the proportion of from two 
to three bushels per acre, or by watering the soil oc- 
casionally with salt and water, to the quantity of 
about two pounds of salt to four gallons of water ; 
or the slug kind may be easily entrapped on small 
beds of plants, by strewing slices of turnip on them 
late in the evening ; the slugs or snails will readily 
crowd to them, and may be gathered up early in the 
morning (before sunrise) and destroyed. 

If it be necessary at any time to sow seeds in 
dry weather, it is recommended to soak the seeds in 
water mixed with sulphur. This practice, with 
attentive watering, will cause the seed to vegetate 
speedily. 

Many kinds of seeds such as Asparagus, Capsi- 
cums, Celery, Fetticus, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, 
Parsnip, Parsley, Rhubarb, Salsify, Spinage, and 
other light seeds will not vegetate freely unless the 



GENERAL REMARKS. 9 

ground be watered, or rolled ; where there is no 
roller on the premises, the following may answer 
for small beds as a substitute : after the seed is 
sown and the ground well raked, take a board (or 
boards) the whole length of the bed, lay them flat 
on the ground, beginning at one edge of the bed, 
walk the whole length of the board, this will press 
the soil on the seed, then shift the boards till you 
have tbus gone over the whole bed. In the absence 
of boards, tread in the seed with your feet, or strike 
on the beds with the back of your spade, or shovel. 

If it should be requisite to transplant any thing 
when the ground is dry, the transplanting should 
be always done as soon as the earth is fresh turn- 
ed over, and the roots of the plants should be steep- 
ed in mud made of rich compost, before they are 
set out. 

I have in most cases recommended seeds to be 
sown in drills drawn from 8 to 12 inches apart, in 
preference to sowing broadcast, because the weeds 
can be more easily destroyed by means of a small 
hoe ; and which, properly used, greatly promotes 
the growth of young plants. 

The following table maybe useful to the gardener 
in showing the number of plants, or trees, that may 
be raised on an acre of ground, when planted at any 
of the undermentioned distances. 



Distance apart. 


No. of Plants. 


Distance apart. 


No. of plants. 


1 foot. 


43,560 


9 feet 


537 


1 1-2 feet. 


19,360 


12 feet, 


302 


2 feet. 


10,890 


15 feet. 


193 


2 1-2 feet, 


6,969 


18 feet, 


134 


3 feet, 


4,840 


21 feet, 


98 


4 feet. 


2,722 


24 feet. 


75 


5 feet. 


1,742 


27 feet, 


59 


6 feet, 


1,210 


30 feet, 


48 



10 GENERAL REMARKS. 

The preceding table may serve as a guide to sucli 
as are not expert in arithmetic, in hxying out a 
garden, as it shews at one view many proportion? 
of an acre of land, in squares of different dimensions. 
The lasthne, for instance, shews, that if 48 trees be 
planted on an acre, each thirty feet apart, that there 
may be forty-eight beds of thirty feet square or 
thirty bedsof forty-eightfeet square, formed from the 
same quantity of land. An allowance of about one 
eighth must however be made from the above cal- 
culation for walks and paths*. 

The table may also serve to show the gardener 
how to dispose of any given quantity of manure, 
that may be allotted for an acre of ground. If, for 
instance, it requires three hundred and two trees to 
plant an acre when placed twelve feet from each 
other, it will require as many heaps of manure to 
cover the same quantity of ground, if dropped the 
same distance apart. It therefore follows that if one 
hundred loads be allowed to the acre, each load 
must be divided into three heaps. If seventy five 
loads only be allowed, every load must be divided 
into four heaps, and so on in proportion to the quan- 
tity allowed. But if the gardener should choose to 
drop his heaps, five paces, or fifteen feet apart, he may 
make such distributions of his loads as to have one 
hundred 'and ninety-three heaps on the acre of 
land ; in which case by dividing each load into 
four heaps he will require only forty^eight loads to 
cover the acre, and he may decrease the quanti- 
ty still more, by allowing greater distnnces from 
heap to heap, or by dividing his loads into smaller 
proportions so as to accommodate himself to what- 
ever quantity of manure he may allot to cover any 
given quantity of ground. 



CATALOGUE, &c. 



ARTICHOKE. Artichaut. Cynara. 

Varieties. — There are two principal varieties or spe- 
cies of the Garden Jirtichoke ; — the Cynara Scoly- 
mus cr French Artichoke, and the Cynara Horten- 
sis or Globe Artichoke. 

It is a perennial plant, producing from the root 
annually its large squamose heads, in full growth, 
in England, in June or July, until October or No- 
vember. The Globe Artichoke, which produces 
large globular heads, is best for general culture, the 
lieads being considerably larger, and the eatable 
parts more thick and fleshy. 

Both sorts may be raised from the seed, or young 
suckers from the bottom taken off in the spring. A 
plantation of Artichokes will continue to produce 
good heads six or seven years, and sometimes longer; 
but it must be observed, that if a supply of this de- 
licious vegetable be required throughout the sea- 
son, a small plantation should be made from suck- 
ers every spring for a successive crop, as the young 
plants will not produce their heads in perfection till 
after the crops of the old standing ones are over. 

The most likely way to obtain a supply of Arti- 
chokes in this country, is to sow the seed in the lat- 
ter end of March, or early in April, in a bed of good 
rich earth, or it may be planted in drills one inch 
deep, and about twelve inches apart. The ground 
.should be light and moist, not such as is apt to be- 
2* 



12 ARTICHOKE. 

come bound up by heat, or that m consequence of 
too large a proportion of sand, is hkely to become 
violently hot in summer, for this is extremely inju- 
rious to these plants. After the plants are up, they 
should be kept free from weeds, and the earth often 
loosened around them. 

At the approach of winter they should be covered 
up with straw, leaves, or light dry litter, and they 
will be fit to transplant in the following spring ; or 
the business of transplanting may be performed in 
cloudy or wet weather, at any time after the plants 
are from nine to twelve inches high. Having fixed 
upon a proper soil and situation, lay on it a good 
quantity of rolten dung, and trench the ground one 
good spade or eighteen inches deep, incorporating 
the manure therewith ; this being done, lake up the 
plants, and after shortening their tnp roots a little, 
and dressing their leaves, plant them with a dibble, 
in rows five feet asunder, and two feet plant from 
plant in the row, leaving part of their green tops 
above ground, and the hearts of the plants free from- 
any earth over them, and give each plant a little 
water to settle the roots. 

The following method of planting Artichokes is 
practiced in Berkshire, (Eng.) : The plants are plac- 
in rows three feet and a half or four feet apart in 
the rows, and so deep that a basin may. be foimed 
round each plant, as it is fond of water, and in the 
Fall these basins are filled up by drawing the earth 
into them, and the plant is covered up two or three 
inches, by rounding up the earth over it. 

Some make new plantations with the seeds at 
once; this may be done by preparing the ground as 
above, and sowing a few grains of good fresh seed 
in each spot where a plant might be set, covering 
them about three quarters of an inch deep, and 
then, by marking each spot with a peg stuck in the 



ARTICHOKE. 13 

gTound, the vacant places may be planted with 
Cauliflower, Cabbage Plants, Dwarf Beans, Let- 
tuce, &c., taking care to keep the plants at a suffi- 
cient distance from the young Artichokes. 

The winter dressing of Artichokes is an impor- 
tant operation ; on it depends much of their future 
success. This should not be given them as long as 
the season continues mild, thai they may have all 
possible advantage of growth, and be gradually in- 
ured to the increasing cold weather ; but it should 
not be deferred to the setting in of hard frost, lest the 
entire work be lost. 

In the first place, cut all the large leaves close to 
the ground, leaving the small ones which rise from 
the hearts of the plants; after this, lire and mark 
out a trench in the middle, between each row, from 
fourteen to sixteen inches wide, presuming that the 
rows are five feet apart, as directed. Then lightly 
dig the surface of the beds from trench to trench, 
burying the weeds, and as you proceed, gather the 
earth round the crowns of the plants to the height 
of about six inches, placing it in gently between 
the young rising leaves, without burying them en- 
tirely under it ; this done, dig the trenches one spade 
deep, and distribute the earth equally between and 
on each side of the plants, so as to level the ridges, 
giving them at the same time a netit rounding form ; 
finish by casting up with a shovel the loose earth 
out of the bottom of the trenches evenly over the 
ridges, in order that the water occasioned by heavy 
rains, &c., may immediately run off ; on which ac- 
count the trenches ought to have a gentle declivity, 
as the lodgement of water about the roots in win- 
ter, is the greatest evil and danger they have to en- 
counter, even greater than the most severe frosts we 
are subject to. 



14 ARTICHOKE. 

The beds are to remain so, until there is an ap- 
pearance of hard frost, when they should be cover- 
ed with hght dry litter, straw, leaves of trees, or the 
like, the better to preserve the crowns and roots 
from its rigour. In this manner, the roots will re- 
main in perfect safety all the winter. As soon as 
the very severe frosts are over, the beds must be un- 
covered, and when you perceive the young shoots 
begin to appear above ground, or rather one or two 
inches up, then, and not before, proceed to levelling 
down the beds into the alleys or trenches, rounding 
them in a neat niamier ; then dig and loosen all the 
t.'arth round the plants ; at the same time, examine 
the number of shoots arising on each stool or root, 
selecting tbreeof the strongest ?ind healthiest look- 
ing on every stool to remain ; all above that num- 
ber are to be slipped off close to tbe roots with the 
hand, unless you want such to make new planta- 
tions with, in wiiich case, any extra number for 
that purpose are to remain on the mother plants, 
until they are about eight or ten inrhes high from 
their roots, or junction with tbe old plants, when 
they are to be slipped oif and planted in a bed pre- 
pared in tbe same manner as directed for tlie young- 
plants, taking care at the same time to close the 
earth about the crowns of the roots, and drawing it 
a little up to the remaining suckers. 

Observe, the Spring dressing is to be given when 
the plants are in the above described state, whether 
that happens in February, March or April, occa- 
sioned by the difference of climate, or the earhness 
or lateness of the Spring. 

The gardeners, near London, generally take off 
the side suckers, or small Artichokes, when they 
are about the size of a hen's egg. These meet with 
a ready sale in the markets, and the principal heads 
that are left are always larger and handsomer. The 



ASPARAGUS. 15 

loatuiity of a full grown Artichoke is apparent by 
the opening of the scales ; and it should always be 
cut off before the flower appears in the centre ; the 
stem should be cut close to the ground at the same 
time. 

When your Artichoke plantations \vant manure., 
lay on a coat of old rotten dung, previous to the 
digging of the trenches in Psovember, and cover it 
over with the earth as you throw it up ; in the 
spring following, dig it in. 



ASPARAGUS. AsPERGE. Officinalis. 

Varieties. — Gravesend — Battersea — Large White 
Reading. 

Asparagus plants may be raised by sowing the 
seeds in the Fall as soon as ripe, or in March, and 
the early part of April. It requires some of the 
best ground in the garden. The seed may be sow^n 
in drills, ten or twelve inches asunder, and covered 
half an inch with light earth. When the plants 
are up they will need a careful hoeing, and they 
should afterwards be kept free from weeds. 

The seed sown in the Fall generally makes the 
strongest plants, and will be fit to transplant into 
beds when they are a year old. 

A plantation of Asparagus, if the beds are pro- 
perly dressed every year, will continue to produce 
good buds for twenty years or more. 

New plantations of Asparagus may be made in 
the months of March and April. The ground for 
the bed must not be wet, nor too strong or stubborn, 
but such as is moderately light and pliable, so as it 
\vi\\ readily fall to pieces in digging or raking, and iii 



16 ASPARAGUS. 

a situation that enjoys the full sun. It should have' 
a large supply of good rotten dung three or four 
inches thick, and then be regularly trenched two 
spades deep, and the dung buried equally in each 
trench, twelve or fifteen inches below the surface. 
When this trenching is done, lay on two or three 
inches of well rotted manure all over the surface, 
and dig the ground over again, eight or ten inches 
deep, mixing this top dressing, and incorporating it 
well with the earth. The ground being thus pre- 
pared and laid level, divide it into beds four feet and 
a half wdde, with alleys two feet wide between 
each bed. 

At each corner of every bed, let a firm stake be 
driven into the ground, to serve as a mark for the 
alleys. Four rows of Asparagus are to be planted 
in each bed, and ten or twelve inches distance to be 
allowed between plant and plant in the row ; and 
let the outside rows of each bed be eight inches 
from the edge. 

Strain your line along the bed eight inches from 
the edge ; then, with a spade, cut out a small trench 
or drill close to to the line, about six inches deep, 
making that side next the line nearly upright, and 
when one trench is opened, plant that before you 
open another, placing the plants upright ten or 
twelve inches distance in the row. 

The plants must not be placed flat in the bottom 
of the trench, but nearly upright against the back 
of it, and so that the crown of the plants may also 
stand upright, and two or three inches below the 
surface of the ground, spreading their roots some- 
what regularly against the back of the trench, and 
at the same time drawing a little earth up against 
them with the hand as you place them, just to fix 
the plants in their due position until the row is 
planted ; when one row is thus placed, with a rake 



ASPARAGUS. iT 

draw the eavtli into the trench, over the plants, 
and then proceed to open another drill or trench as 
before directed ; and fill and cover it in the same 
manner, and so on till the whole is planted ; then 
let the surface of the beds be raked smooth and 
cleared from stones. 

Some make new plantations with the seeds at 
once ; this may be done by preparing the ground 
as before directed, and planting a few grains of seed 
in each place allotted for a plant ; they should be 
after\vards thinned, leaving the strongest plants to 
stand at the same distance every way as before. 

A plantation of Asparagus, thus raised, will pro- 
duce buds fit to cut the third Spring after sowing, 
but will be very large and fine the fourth year. 

Winter Dressing of Asparagus Beds. 

About the beginning of November, if the stalks 
of your Asparagus tmn yellow, which is a sign of 
their having finished their growth for the season, cut 
them down close to the earth, carry them off the 
ground, and clear the beds carefully from weeds. 

Asparagus beds must have an annual dressing 
of good manure; let it be laid equally over the 
beds, two or three inches thick, after which, stretch 
a line, and with a spade mark out the alleys from 
eighteen inches to two feet wide, agreeably to their 
original dimensions. 

Then dig the alleys one spade deep, and spread a 
considerable quantity of the earth evenly over the 
beds; observing to make the edges of the beds 
straight, full, and neat, and to finish your work in a 
becoming manner, giving a moderate rounding to 
beds, especially if the ground be inchned to wet. 

The alleys should be afterwards filled up with 
leaves or htter well trampled down, wliich would 
ill some measure, prevent the frost from entering 



18 ASPARAGUS. 

that way to the Asparagus roots. The seedling 
Asparagus should also have a slight dressing ; that 
is, to clear the bed from weeds, and then to spread 
an inch or two in depth of dry rotten dung over it, 
to defend the crown of the plants from frost. 

Spring Dressing of the Beds. 

This work should be done from about the latter 
end of March, to the middle of April. For the pur- 
pose of digging or forking these beds, you should 
be provided with a proper fork, having three short 
lines, perfectly flat, and about an inch broad ; how- 
ever, in lieu of such, it may be performed with a 
small sliort pronged dung fork. 

In forking the beds, be careful to loosen every 
part to a moderate depth, but taking great care not 
to go too deep to wound the crowns of the roots. 

The above work of forking these beds, is most 
necessary to be done every spring, to improve and 
loosen the ground, and to give fi'ee liberty for the 
buds to shoot up. 

The beds being forked, they must afterwards be 
raked even ; observing, if you do not rake them im- 
mediately after they are forked, to defer it no long- 
er than the first week in April, at which time, a few 
Radish seeds may be scattered over them, to pull 
up while young. 

Asparagus plants will not produce buds large 
enough to cut for general use, in less than three 
years from the time of planting. But in the fourth 
year, when the shoots are three or four inches high, 
they will bear extensive cutting. Tlie best way of 
cutting, is to slip the knife down perpendicularly, 
close to each shoot, and cut it off slantingly, about 
three or four inches within the ground, taking care 
not to wound any young buds coming up from the 
same root, for there are always several shoots ad- 
vancing in different stages of growth. 



BEANS. 19 

The above directions are intended for family gar- 
tlens. Those who may wish to raise Asparagus in 
large quantities for market, may prepare the ground 
with a plough, and plant two rows in each bed, 
which may be carried to any length required. If 
several beds are intended they should be four or five 
feet apart, in order that the plough may be worked 
freely between them. Frequent ploughing will 
cause the roots to spread, so as to widen the beds ; 
and the winter dressing may be performed in a 
great measure with the plougb. After the Aspa- 
ragus is cut, the ground, between the beds, may be- 
ploughed, and planted with Cabbage, Potatoes, oi 
Beans, &c. 



BEANS. (Eng. Dwarfs.) Feve de marais. 
Vicia J aba. 

V ARiETiES.— Early Mazagan — Early Lisbon — Ear- 
ly Long Pod — Sword Long Pod — Large Windsor 
— Kentish Windsor — Taylor\s Windsor — Large 
Tokcr — Sandwich Bean — Mumford — Green Genoa 
— Green Wlndsor-^White Blossomed — Red Blos- 
somed — Dwarf Cluster — Broad Spanish — Green 
Nonpareil — Turkey Long Pod. 

The principal cause of this garden product not 
succeeding well in this country, is occasioned by 
the Summer heat overtaking them before they are 
podded, causing the blossom to drop off premature- 
ly ; consequently, the crops are poor and scanty— 
to obviate this difficulty, they should be planted as 
early in the year as possible. They are generally 
planted in England, from October to April, for early 
crops, and from that time to July, for late crops. 
It sometimes happens that their plantings are iu- 
3 



20 BEANS. 

jured by the extremity of their Winters, but they 
never miss having an average crop. 

In order to insme success here, I would recom- 
mend those wlio are desirous of obtaining a tolerable 
supply of these vegetables, to plant them early, as 
it will be recollected tnat they will be deficient in 
quality as well as in quantity, on the approach of 
the warm weather, li the ground should be froz- 
en the last week in January, or early in February, 
they may be sown m boxes of earth placed in a light 
celler, or inearth on the floor, and afterwards trans- 
planted. If this is not done, let them be planted 
as soon afterwards as possible, in drills two or three 
inches deep, and if it should happen that they can- 
not be planted by the middle of February in theplace 
where they are to stand, let some of the early kinds 
be sown pretty thick in a bed of light earth ; and 
when come up to an inch or two in height, trans- 
plant them in rows from thirty inches to three feet 
asunder, according to the size and kind, and the 
Beans two or three inches distant in the rows. 
The method is this : dig a bed about three or four 
feet broad, of good earth, in a warm situation ; this 
being done, draw broad drills with a small spade, 
or cotnmon hoe, flatways across the bed, and scat- 
ter the Beans pretty thick in the drill, and draw the 
earth equally over them ; and thus, if severe frosts 
should prevail before tiiey come up, or in their in- 
fant state while remaining altogether in the bed, 
they can be readily protected from frost, with frames, 
mats, or litter, until fit to transplant. As soon af- 
wards as the weather is favourable, let them be 
taken up carefully out of the seed bed, with their 
full spread roots, and as much earth as will hang 
about them, and be carefully transplanted as before 
directed, observing to close the earth lightly about 
pvery plant. They will soon take root and grow 



BEANS. 21 

freely. This method is considered by some as pre- 
ferable to the general method of planting them in 
the place where they are to stand, and it is said, 
that by transplanting they generally bear several 
days sooner. It may be necessary to observe that 
a strong clayey soil is the most suitable, but they of- 
ten do well in moderately light low ground, pro- 
vided it is well trodden or rolled, after the beans are 
planted. The early kinds may succeed if planted 
in March and April, and it is only from those early 
sown that any tolerable produce may be expected 
in the United States, especially in the middle and 
southern parts. 

The Mazagan and Lisbon are the earliest, the 
White Blossom Bean is very delicious, and boils 
much greener than any other kind ; but the Genoa 
bears the heat of our climates better than either of 
the others, and therefore is the most suitable for 
late crops. The Long Podded Bean is very good, 
and bears well ; but the Windsor, Sandwich, Toker, 
and Broad Spanish kinds, are more esteemed than 
any other. The Dwarf Cluster Bean is a great 
bearer, never grows above a foot or fourteen inches 
high, and may be planted in rows, either in beds or 
borders, the rows to be about two feet asunder, and 
as this kind branches out considerably from the 
root, the Beans must be planted in single rows, and 
five or six inches distant from one another. 

If all the different varieties are planted at one 
time, they will come into bearing in a regular suc^ 
cession, according to their different degrees of ear- 
liness — and it will be necessary to repeat the plant- 
ings every two weeks from January to the latter 
end of March. 

As soon as the Beans are three or four inches 
high, they will need a careful hoeing, and if some 
earth be drawn up to their stems, three or fom- 



22 BEANS. 

times in the course of their growth, it will greatly 
refresh and strengthen them. 

When they are arrived at full bloom, and the 
lower pods beginning to set, the tops may be brok- 
en off. If this be done at the proper time, it will 
greatly promote the swelling of the pods, as well as 
their early maturity ; for having no advancing tops 
10 nourish, the whole effort of the root will go to the 
support of the fruit. 

Broad Beans are particularly subject to a green 
bug ; tobacco water, or salt water will sometimes 
destroy them ; but the most certain way is to watch 
their first appearance, and to pick off that part, on 
w^hich they first settle, and burn it, or if such 
plants be cut down close to the ground they will 
produce fresh shoots which may bear a good crop. 



BEANS. (Kidney Dwarf) Haricot. Phaseolus. 
vulgaris^ etc* 

Varieties. — Early Yellow Cranberry — Early Mo- 
hawk — Early Dwarf Cluster — Early Yellow Six 
Weeks — Early Dun Colored or Quaker — Early 
China Dwarf — Early Black Dwarf — Large White 
Kidney Dwarf — White Cranberry Dwarf — Red 
Cranberry Dwarf — Warrington or Marrow — Re- 
fugee or Thousand to One — Rob Roy — While Cut- 
lass Bean of Carolina — Bonavista. 

These kinds of Beans being all excellent, I shall 
leave my readers to choose for themselves. The 
early kinds will come to perfection in from six to 
eight weeks after planting. Some of the other 
kinds will keep longer in bearing, and are esteemed 
by some on that account. These, with some of the 
early kinds, may be planted in the months of May 
and June. If a regular succession of young Beansv 



BEANS, 23 

be wanted lliroughoiit the summer, some of the 
early kinds should be planted every two weeks 
from the last week in April until the beginning of 
August. These Beans require light rich soil, and 
may be planted in hills (three or four in a hill) or 
diills about two inches deep, and the Beans two or 
three inches from each other ; the drills may be 
from two to three feet apart. (The Refugees are 
best planted in hills). As the Beans progress in 
growth, letthembe carefully hoed, drawing the earth 
up to their stems at tlie same time, and they will be 
soon fit for the table 

The Bonavista is a new Dwarf Bean, by many 
considered equal to Lima Beans. They grow near- 
ly two feet high 



BEANS — (Pole or Running.) Haricots a rames. 
Phaseolus Limensis. 

Varieties. — Large White Lima — Sleva or Caro- 
lina. 

Phaseolus Multifloni.s. 

Varieties. — Scarlet Runners — IVhite Dutch Run- 
ners—Dutch Case Knife or Princess-^Red Cran- 
berry — White Cranberry. 

The Beans of the latter species may be planted 
the latter end of April, and in May and June, either 
in hills three feel distant from each other, or in 
drills about two inches deep. The poles should be 
eight or ten feet long, and may be fixed in the 
ground before the Beans are planted. 

The Carolina and Lima Beans should not be 
planted in the open ground until the second week 
in May, unless the season be very favourable, and 
3* 



^4 BEETS* 

llie ground warm. As these Beans are apt to gel 
injured by cold and damp weather, let six or eight 
Beans be planted half an inch deep round each pole, 
and afterwards thinned, leaving three or four good 
plants in a hill, which hills should be from four to 
five feet distance from each other every way. 

The soil for running Beans should be the same 
as for Dwarf kinds, except the Lima, which re- 
quires richer ground than any of the other sorts. 

If any of these Beans are wanted earlier than the 
ordinary seasons, they may be planted in flower 
pots in April, and placed in a green house or garden 
frame, and being transplanted in May with the 
balls of earth entu'e, will come into bearing 10 or 14 
days earlier than those which are planted in the 
natural ground. 



BEET. Betterave. Beta vulgaris, etc. 

i^ARiETiEs. Early Blood Turnip rooted — Early 

White Scarcity — Early Dwarf Blood — Long Blood 
Red — Yellow Turnip rooted — Mangel JVurzel — 
Sir John Sinclair'' s — French Sugar or Amber. 

A small bed of the earliest and most esteemed 
kinds of Beets may be planted in good rich early 
ground towards the end of March, or in the first 
week of April, which being well attended to, will 
produce good roots in June 

Draw drills a foot apart, and from one to two 
inches deep ; drop the seeds alon^ the drills two or 
three inches from each other, and cover them with 
the earth. When the plants are up strong, thin 
them to the distance of six or eight inches from each 
other in the rows. The ground should be after- 



BORECOLE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 25 

wards hoed deep round the plants, and kept free 
from weeds. 

Beets may be planted for general crops from the 
first week in April, until the beginning of June, in 
rich mellow ground, and in case of failing crops, 
they may produce good roots in the Fall, if planted 
the last week in June. 

It is always best to thin them out early. If the 
tops are used as a vegetable, they should not be left 
too long for this purpose, or they will greatly injure 
the roots of those that are to stand. Beds that are 
to stand through the summer, should be kept clean 
by repeated hoeings ; and the roots intended for 
winter use should be taken up in October, or early 
in November. 



BORECOLE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 

Chou frise vert. Chou de Bruxelles a 

JETS. Brassica oleracea, var sabellica^ ace- 

phala, bullata, etc. 

Varieties. — Green Curled or Fringed Cabbage — 

Purple Curled — Thick Leaved Curled Finely 

Fringed- Siberian or Scotch Kale-Brussels Sprouts. 

For the garden, these may be treated in every 
respect as Winter Cabbages : — the seeds may be 
sown about the middle of May, and fhe plants set 
out in the month'of July, in good rich ground. They 
are never so delicious as when rendered tender by 
smart frosts; they are very valuable plants to cul- 
tivate, particularly in the more Southerly States, as 
they will there be in the greatest perfection during 
the winter months ; they will also, if planted in a 
gravelly soil, and in a sheltered warm situation, 
bear the winters of the Middle States ; and may be 
kept in great perfection in the Eastern States, if ta- 
ken up before the winter frost sets in with much 



2.6 BROCCOLI. 

severity, and placed ia trenches up to their leaves, 
and covered with straw or other light cov^ering: the 
heads may be cut off as they are required for use ; 
and in the Spring, the stems being raised up, will 
produce an abundance of delicious Greens. 

This vegetable is frequently raised in England for 
cattle, for which, on account of its luxuriant growth, 
it is very profitable; the Brussels Sprouts grow there 
from three to five feet high, and produce an abun- 
dance of Greens in the winter. 

There are several sub-varieties of (his genus of 

plants, besides those specified, most of which have 

large open heads with curled wninkled leaves ; the 

thousand headed cabbage is of this kind, and is 

grown chiefly for cattle. 



BROCCOLI. Brocoli. Brassica oleracea Ital- 



Varieties. — Early Dwarf Purple — Early Green — 
Large Late Purple — Dwarf Late Purple — Branch- 
ing Purple — Late Green — Broivn — White or Cau- 
liflower Broccoli — Large Purple Cape — Grange's 
White Cape and Sulphur Cape. 

The several varieties of Broccoli and Cauliflower 
may be justly ranked amongst ihe greatest luxuries 
of the garden. They need only h^ known in order 
to be esteemed. The Broccoli pioduces heads, con- 
sisting of a lump of rich seedy pulp, like the Cauli- 
flower, only that some are of a green colour, some 
purple, some brown, &c., and the white kinds so 
exactly resemble the true Cauliflower as to be 
scarcely distinguished either in colour or taste. 

Broccoli is quite plentiful throughout England 
the greater part of the year, and it is raised with as 
little trouble as Cabbages are here. The mode of 



BROTCOLI. 27 

raising" the Purple Cape Broccoli is now generally 
understood in this part of America; bu' the culti- 
vation of the other kinds, has been nearly abandon- 
ed on account of the ill success attending former at- 
tempts to bring them to perfection. In such of the 
Southern States, where the winters are not more 
severe than in England, they will stand in the open 
ground, and continue to produce their fine heads 
from November to April. In the Middle, and es- 
pecially in the Eastern States, if the seeds of the late 
kinds be sown in April, and the earlier kinds in May, 
in the open ground, and treated in the same man- 
ner as Cauliflower plants, it would be the most cer- 
tain method of obtaining large and early flowers ; 
but as only a parr of these crops can be expected to 
come to perfection before the approach of winter, 
the remainder will have to be taken up, laid in by 
the roots, and covered with earth up to the lower 
leaves. 

Those who are desirous of obtaining Broccoli and 
Cauliflower in any quantity, so as to have all the 
different varieties in succession, should have places 
erected similar to some of our greenhouses, the back 
and roof may be made of refuse lumber, which be- 
ing afterwards covered with fresh stable dung will 
keep out the frost. The place allotted for Cape 
Broccoli and Cauliflower, should have a glazed roof 
to face the South — the sashes muc^t be made to take 
ofTin mild weather, but they should be always kept 
shut in severe cold weather, and covered with mats, 
or boards, litter, &c. so effectually as to keep out the 
frost. 

The hardy kinds of Broccoli may be preserved 
without glass, by having shutters provided to slide 
over the front in extreme cold weather, which may 
be covered over with fresh stable dung or other lit- 
ter. If these plants get frozen, it will be necessary 



28 BROCC'OLT. 

to keep the fall power of the sim from coming on 
them until they be thawed, this muy be done by 
shaking a little straw over the bed as they lay. It 
may perhaps be not generally understood that the 
sudden transition from cold to heat, is more destruc- 
tive to vegetables than the cold itself. If plants of 
any kind get frozen, and cannot be screened from 
the sudden rays of the sun, they should be well wa- 
tered as the air gets warm, and before they begin to 
thaw ; this will draw out the frost and may be the 
means of saving the plants. 

The proper lime for sowing the seeds of the Pur- 
ple Cape Broccoli, is from the tenth to the twentieth 
of May, those who intend to provide a place for the 
winter keeping of the other kinds, may sow seeds of 
the most esteemed varieties at the same time, or in 
two or three separate sowings, a week apart. 

When the plants are of sufficient size, they should 
be transplanted into extraordinary rich ground^ 
which should be brought previously into good condi-* 
tion. This being done, plant them in rows two 
feet and a half apart, and two feet distance in the 
rows. As soon as they have taken root, give the 
ground a deep hoeing, and repeat this two or three 
times in the course of their growth, drawing some 
earth around their stems at the same time. 

Such plants as are not likely to produce heads in 
the open ground, should, be taken up early in Oc- 
tober, and laid in carefully close, together \viih the 
roots and stems covered with earth as far up as the 
lower leaves. Those who have not a place provided, 
may keep a few in a light cellar, but every garden- 
er and private gentleman should have suitable 
places erected for a vegetable that yields such a de- 
licious repast, at a time when other luxuries of the 
garden are comparatively out of our reach . 



CCLIFLOWER. 29 

CAULIFLOWER. Choufleur. Brasdca oler- 
acea botrytis. 

Varieties. — Early. — Late. 

This is a first rate vegetable ; to obtain wLich, 
great pains must be taken in every stuge of its 
growth, the extremes of heat and cold being very 
much agamst it. The seeds of the early kinds 
should be sown between the 16th and 24th of Sep- 
tember, in a bed of clean rich earth. In about four 
or five weeks afterwards, the plants should be 
pricked out into another bed at the distance of four 
Indies from each other every way ; this bed should 
be encompassed with garden frames, covered with 
glazed sashes, and boards or shutters ; the plants 
should be watered and shaded a few days till they 
have taken root, they will afterwards require lio-ht 
and air every mild day throughout the winter, bivt 
the outsides of the frames must be so lined and se- 
cured, and the tops of the beds so covered as to keep 
out all frost. 

They should be well attended to until the time of 
transplanting in the spring, and those uho have 
not hand or bell glasses, so as to enable them to set 
some out by the latter end of March, should have a 
frame ready about the last week in February, in 
order that they may be transplanted to the distance 
of eight or nine inches apart ; this would prevent 
the!n from buttoning or growing up weak ; if this 
be not done, some of the strongest plants should be 
taken out of the bed and planted in flower pots, 
which may be afterwards placed in a frame or 
greenhouse until the weather be warm and settled 
which may be expected soon after the middle of 
April. They should be then turned out with the 
balls -of earth entire, and planted in a bed of the 
richest earth in the garden, at the distance of tw^<!> 



30 CAULIFLOWER. 

feet and a half from each other every way ; the 
residue nsay be taken up from the frame the last 
week in April, or earher if the season proves mild, 
by means of a garden trowel and planted as above. 
The plants should be afterwards well attended to 
by hoeing the ground deep around them, and bruig- 
ing the earth gradually up to the stems, so as to 
push them forward before the approach of warm 
weather. 

The Fall plants are generally allowed to succeed 
best, but good Cauhflowers are sometimes produc- 
ed from seed sown in a hot bed to^A aids the end of 
January, or early in February. Great pains must 
be taken to have the bed in good condition to re- 
ceive the seed ; when the plants are up, they must 
have air every mild day, and as they progress in 
growth, they should have as much air as possible, 
consistent with their preservation, but the beds 
must be kept covered up every night as long as 
there is any danger of frost. When the plants arc 
three or fovu' inches high, they must be pricked out 
three or four inches apart into anotl-er bed, and by 
the latter end of April they may be transplanted 
into the ground, and treated in every respect the 
same as the other. These plants if well managed, 
wil} succeed very well, and those that do not flower 
by June, may make good heads in Fall. 

In the early part of May, Cauliflower seeds may 
be sown in the open ground, the plants should be 
pricked out in June, and transplanted into good 
ground early in July, to flower in the Fall : those 
that are not likely to flower by the last of October, 
should be taken up and provided for in the manner 
recommended for the Cape Broccoli. 

It will be beneficial in the raising of Cauliflowers 
to defend them from the north west winds, by 
hedges made of reeds, or pales thatched with straw. 



CABBAGE. 31 

CABBAGE. Chou. Brassica oleracea, etc. 

Varieties — Early York — Early Dutch — Knighfs 
Early Dwarf — Early Salisbury Dwarf — Early 
Emperor — Early Penton — Early Wellington — 
Early Sugar-loaf^ Early London Batter sea — 
Early Heart-shaped — Early Imperial — Large 
Late Drum-head — Large Sugar-loaf — Large Late 
Battersea — Large Bergen or Great American — 
Green Glazed — Large Scotch, for Cattle — Red 
Dutch, for Pickling — Green Globe Savoy — Yellow 
Savoy — Turnip Rooted. 

Theearl}^ heads of spring Cabbage may be rais- 
ed in various ways. Some ISO \ jie bfc els between 
the 10th and 24th of v"-!eptember, pricked out and 
managed the same as Cauhflower plants, only that 
they are more hardy, and njay be kept throug-h the 
winter without g-lazecl sashes, some prefer sow- 
ing the seeds in a cold-bed, covered by a garden 
frame, and with sashes. If this iiame be placed 
on a warm border, and kept free from frost, and tlie 
seed of the early kinds sown the latter end of Jan- 
uary or eaiiy in February, these plants will be bet- 
ter than those raised in the Fall ; as (hey will riot 
be so liable to run to seed, and they will be more 
hardy than those raised on hot beds in the spring. 

The gardeners about New-York sow^ their seed 
on hot-beds covered with glass frames, the last week 
in February, or early in March : the plants will be 
fit to transplant about the middle of April, and 
should be set out in good ground from sixteen 
inches to two feet apart, according to the size and 
kind. These, by being hoed often, will produce 
good Cabbages in June. If seeds of the large ear- 
ly kinds be sown in a warm border early in April, 
they will produce plants fit to transplant in May^ 
andwill make good Cabbages for Summer use. 
4 



32 CABBAGE. 

The seed of Red Cabbage may be sown early in 
May, and those of Savoys and late Cabbage in gen- 
eral, may be sown at two or three different tniies, 
between the 10th and 25th of May, in fresh ricli 
o-round free from weeds ; the young plants will re- 
quire to be watched at this season of the year, and if 
they are attacked by insects, recourse must be had 
to the ingredients recommended in the general di- 
rections ; these if used every evening until the 
plants get strong, will bring them forward for trans- 
planting in the second or third week in July. 

The Bergen and other large kinds should be 
})lanted in rows at least thirty inches asunder, and 
the plants about two feet apart in the rows ; the Sa- 
voys and smaller sorts may be placed from four to 
to six inches nearer every way. Cabbage succeeds 
best in afresh rich soil, and the ground should be 
deeply hoed at least three times during their 
growth. 

The Brassica rapa, or Turnip Cabbage, produces 
its bulb or protuberance, on the stems above ground, 
immediately under the leaves. It is eatable when 
young, or about the size of a garden turnip. 

The seeds may be sown in April or May, and 
the plants afterwards treated the same as Cabbage, 
only that in earthing up the plants you must be 
careful not to cover the globular part. 

They are much more hardy than Turnips, and in 
England the bulbs often grow to upwards of twenty 
inches in circumference, and weigh from ten to 
twelve pounds. They are cultivated for the feed- 
ino- of cows and sheep, as well as for table use ; in 
either case they treat them as they do Cabbages, or 
sow them like Turnips, and afterwards hoe them 
out to proper distances. 

The Brassica J^apus, or Turnip rooted Cabbage, 
has an oblong thick root in the form of a winter 



CABBAGE. 33 

radish ; it is extremely hardy, and will survive very 
hard frosts ; the seeds should be sown in strong 
lich ground, and treated in every respect as Tur- 
nips, observing to thin the plants with the hoe to 
the distance of about sixteen inchches apart. Their 
roots will be much larger and better when treated 
in this way, than if transplanted. 

The B. napus, variety esculenta is sometimes cul- 
tivated as a salad her]3. It is in great esteem by 
the French, as a culinary vegetable, and is called 
the J^avet or French turnip. In France, as well 
as in Germany, few great dinners are served up 
without it in one shape or other. 



COLEWORT, OR COLLARDS. Chou vert. 
Brassica oleracea. 

This is a species of Cabbage which is eaten when 
young ; it so nearly resembles the early kinds of 
Cabbage, that it is very seldom cultivated. The 
English prefer sowing the seeds of early heading 
kinds of Cabbages, as a substitute, which being 
done at different seasons, enables them to procure a 
supply of fresh Greens from their gardens every 
day in the year. This is not attainable here, on 
account of the extremes of heat and cold ; but Col- 
lards would prove very valuable and acceptable in 
the event of an unfavourable season for fall Cabbage. 

If the seeds of Early York, Early Dutch, Dwarf, 
or Sugar-loaf Cabbage, be sown m June, July and 
August, and transplanted as they become fit, into 
good ground from fifteen to eighteen inches apart, 
the first planting Vv^ould make good heads for fall 
use ; and the plants of late sowings, if transplanted 
in September and October in a warm border, would 
produce tender sweet eating Greens for use in the 
early part* of the Winter ; the latter plantings may 
be placed 10 or 12 inches plant from plant. These 



34 CARDOONS AND CARROTS. 

could be easily sheltered on the approach of severe 
weather, without being taken up. 



CARDOONS. Cardon. Cynara cardumylus. 

The Cardoon Artichoke is much cultivated in 
Europe for Culinary purposes, such as for salads, 
soups, ste wings, &c. 

The stems of the leaves being thick and crisp, 
are the eatable parts aflei being blanched. They 
are in perfection in Autumn and Winter. 

The seeds may be sown in a bed of rich earth in 
the month of April ; when the plants are up strong, 
they should be thinned to four or five inches dis- 
tance, to prevent their becoming weak. They may 
be transplanted In June, at the dietance of four feet 
fror« one another every way ; observe, before plant- 
ing, to dress their tops and roots the same as Ce- 
lery. As they advance in growth they are to be 
earthed up for blanching, keeping the leaves close 
together ; this may be done with bas^s or matting, as 
practiced with Endive ; they are afterwards to be 
earthed up gradually from time, to t ime, until whit- 
ened to a sufficient height. As wirter approaches. 
Cardoons must be taken up and lai I away like Cel- 
ery, or they may be preservedwith sand in a cellar. 



CARROT. Carotte. Daucus carota 

Varieties.— Ear/y Horn — Long Orange — Blood 
Red — Lemon — Altringham. 

Of these several varieties of Carrots, the Early 
Horn is the earliest, but the Long Orange and Al- 
tringham are in greater esteem, on accouht of their 



CELERY. 35 

bright orange colour, as well as for their great size 
and length. They grow to great perfection in a 
rich loamy soil, and may be raised in drills drawn 
about one inch deep, and twelve inches asunder. 
A small bed may be planted the latter end of 
March, for an early crop, and from that time to the 
end of June, for succesive crops. 

The most suitable ground for the main crop of 
Carrots or Beets, is that which may have been well 
manured in the Fall for Spinach, and would re- 
quire no fresh manure. If the seed be sown in 
May, and the plants thinned out to the distance of 
five or six inches from each other, while young, and 
kept hoed, they would yield an abundance of fine 
roots for Winter and Spring use, by being taken up 
in the Fall, and preserved euher in sand in a cellar, 
or in graves covered up in the garden. 

Carrots are used in England as fodder for cows, 
sheep, oxen and horses. The seed is sown broad 
cast and harrowed in ; after they have been once 
hoed, they are harrowed again ; this loosens the 
soil, without hurting the crop, unless the ground 
happens to be rough, in which case they go over the 
land and clear the plants from heaps of mould ijat 
may gather about them. They frequently yield 
upwards of 300 bushels to an acre. 



CELERY. C LERi. t^pinm graveolens. 

Varieties — White Solid — ose Coloured wlid — 
JVortfi's Giant Red — Italian — Celeriac, or Turm'p 
Rooted. 

Those who may want Celery for Summer use, 
should sow^ some seed of the White Solid in a slight 
hot bed early in March, but as plants raised in this 

4* 



36 CELERY. 

way are apt to run to seed, it is much better to wait 
a fortnight, and sow some in a warm border. The 
seed for a general crop should be sown the last 
week in March, or early in April, in low but rich 
mellow ground ; if it be sown in drills half an inch 
deep, and raked in even, it will produce strong 
plants by hoeing frequently between the rows. 

The early sown plants should be pricked out into* 
a nursery bed of rich earth as soon as they are two 
or three inches long, there to remain about a month, 
after which they will be fit to transplant into the 
trenches. 

Choose for this purpose a piece of rich ground, in 
an open exposure ; mark out the trenches by line, 
10 or 12 inches wide, and allow the space of three 
feet between them, which will be sufficient for the 
early plantations. Dig each trench a moderate 
spade deep, laying the dug out earth equally on each 
side, between the trenches ; lay three inches deep 
of very rotten dung in the bottom of each trench, 
then pare the sides and dig the dung and parings 
with an inch or two of the loose mould at the bot- 
tom, incorporating all well together, and put in the 
plants. Previous to planting, trim the tops of the 
plants, by cutting ofTthe long straggling leaves, and 
also the ends of iheir roots. Let them be planted 
with a dibble, in single rows, along the middle of 
each trench, five or six inches between plant and 
plant, as soon as they are planted give them a plen- 
tiful watering, and let them be shaded until they 
strike root and begin to grow. 

The m.in crops may be planted in the same way, 
but in trenches four feet distant from each other, 
and an inch or two further from plant to plant; or 
in beds made in the following manner, which for 
the ease of preserving the plants in winter, will be 



CELERY. 37 

found extremely convenient, besides a greater quan- 
tity can be raised on a given piece of ground. 

Lay out the ground into beds of four feet wide, 
with alleys between, of three feet ; dig the beds a 
spade deep, throwing the earth on the allej^s ; when 
done, lay four or five inches of good well rotted dung 
all over the bottom of the beds, dig and incorporate * 
it with the loose earth, and cover the whole with an 
inch or two of earth from the alleys ; plant fofir 
rows in each bed at equal distances, and from six 
to eight inches apart in the rows ; after which, give 
them a plentiful watering and shade them. 

The plants must be hoed occasionally until grown 
of sufficient size for earthing, which is done with 
the assistance of boards, by laying them along the 
rows, to support the leaves while you are putting in 
the earth from the alleys, and removing them as 
you progress in the business. 

The earthing should ' never be done when the 
plants are wet, as this apt to make Celery rust}^, 
l3Ut should be performed gradually in fine weather 
as the plants progress in growth, repeating the 
earthing every two weeks, at which time care 
should be taken to gather up all the leaves neatly, 
and not to bury the hearts of the plants. When 
they are grown two feet high, nnd well blanched, 
they are fit for the table. As Celery will grow three 
or four feet high in one season, it will be necessary 
to delay the planting of that which is intended for 
winter use until the latter end of July, but the 
trenches should always be got ready soon enough, 
to avoid a serious drought, w^hich often delays the 
plantings till too late in the season. The blanching 
of Celery for winter use may be delayed until Oc- 
tober. 

The Celeriac, or Turnip Rooted, may be planted 
either on level ground or in shallow drills, the roots 



:^8 CHERVIL AND CHIVES. 

of it swell like a Turnip and may be preserved in 
sand through the Winter. The French and Ger- 
mans cut it in slices and soak it a few hours in vin- 
egar; by such simple preparation, it becomes as 
mellow as a Pine Apple, and affords a delicious and 
very nourishing repast. 

In raising Celery on a large scale, the trenches 
may be worked out with a plough, and finished af- 
terwards wif h a spade or hoe. The ground may be 
also ploughed between each row of Celery previous 
to earthing it up ; this will save much labour. 



CHERVIL, OR CICELY THE SWEET. Cer- 

FEUiL. Scandix odorata cerefolium. 

Chervil is a small salad herb of aromatic proper- 
ty ; its leaves are used as salads, and for soup, &c. 
The seed may be sown early in the Spring, in drills 
half an inch deep and ten or twelve inches apart : 
and managed the same as Parsley. 



CHIVES, OR CIVES. CiVETTE. Mum scoro- 
doprasum. 

This is a small species of Onion, growing in large 
tufts ; they are propagated by offsets from the root, 
and may be planted either in the Spring or Fall, in 
rows ten or twelve inches apart, and the bulbs three 
or four inchesapart in the rows ; they will soon take 
root, and increase very fast into large bunches of 
bulbs. 



CORN SALAD, CRESS AND WATER CRESS. 39 

CORN SALAD, or FETTICUS. Mache ou 

DOUCETTE. Valeriana locusta, variety olitoria. 

The V. L. variety O. grows commonly in the 
cornfields in England, hence it is called Corn Sal- 
ad, and from its being sufficiently hardy to stand 
the Winter, it has acquired the appellation of Lamb's 
Lettuce, from its affording them an early pasturage. 
It is cultivated for salads lor winter and early spring 
nse. The seed may be sown in rich clean ground, 
the latter end of August or early in September, and 
the plants must be covered with straw at the ap« 
proach of severe weather. 



CRESS. Cresson. Lepidium sativum. 

Varieties. — CurledyOr Pepper grass — Broad Leaved 
Garden. 

Cress is also a small salad herb, and is generally 
used with lettuce, white mustard or rape. It should 
be sown in little drills very thick, (as should the 
white mustard and rape,) and cut before it comes 
into rough leaf. A small quantity in the salad sea- 
son should be sown every week in clean rich 
ground. 



WATERCRESS. Cresson de fontaine. J^as- 
turtimn officinale. 

The Water Cress is a creeping amphibious peren- 
nial, and is grown very extensively about London 
for the markets. Loudon says in his Encyclopedia 
of Gardening, that, " The most suitable descrip- 
tion of water is a clear stream, not more than an 



40 CUCUMBER. 

inch and a half deep, running over sand or gravel ; 
the least favorable, deep still water, or a muddy 
bottom. It is highly advantageous to make the 
plantations in newly risen spring water, as the 
plants not only thrive better in it, but in conse- 
quence of its being rarely frozen, they generally 
continue in vegetation, and in a good state for ga- 
thering through the whole winter season. The 
plants are disj^osed in rows parallel with the course 
of the stream, about eighteen inches apart. When 
these plants begin to grow in water one inch and a 
half deep, they soon check the current so as to 
raise the water to the height of three inches above 
the plants, which is considered the most favorable 
circumstance in which they can be placed. It is 
absolutely necessary to have a constant current, as 
"'her? th?i'€ i~ ^iiy obstruction to the stream or place 
of w^ater, the plants cease to thrive. After they 
have been cut about three timeSj they begin to 
slock, and then the oftener they are cut, the better," 



CUCUMBER. CoNcoMBRE. Cucumis satwus^ etc. 

Varieties — Early frame — Long Prickly — Short 
Prickly — Long Green Sonthgate — Long Green 
Turkey — Long White Turkey — Green Cluster — 
White Spined — Small Gherkin or West India. 

The most suitable kinds of Cucumbers for early 
planting are the Early Frame, Green Cluster, and 
Long Prickly. These may be planted in the open 
ground the first week in May, in hills four feet apart. 
Previous to planting, the ground should be prepared 
by incorporating a shovel full of rotten dung with 
the earth in each hill, after which four or five seeds 
may be planted half an inch deep. Cucumbers 



EGG-PLANT. 41 

are liable to be attacked by a yellow fly, which 
sometimes devours all the young plants ; these and 
other insects may be killed by sowmg tobacco dust, 
soot, or powdered charcoal round about the vines 
when they first come up. After this be done, the 
plants may be thinned to two or three in a hill, and 
the ground carefully hoed, drawing a little earth 
round them at the same time. Before the vines 
begin to run, they should be stopped , this is done 
by pruning off the top of the first ruiuier bud, which 
will promote a stocky growth, and cause them to 
put forth lateral shoots at the first and second joints, 
to form fruitful runners ; and from these, others of 
the same nature will be produced. Cucumber 
vines should be kept free from weeds, and if the 
weather proves dry, a gentle watering now and 
then given in the evening will be of considerable 
service. 

Picklers may be raised by planting the seeds at 
any time in July. When the vines begin to bear, 
they should be looked ov^r, and the fruit gathered 
as fast as it becomes fit, as the plant will cease to 
bear much if the fiuit be permitted to get yellow. 



EGG-PLANT. Melongene ou aubergine. 

Solanum melongena. 

Varieties. — Purple, (for culinary purposes) — White, 
(ornamental. ) 

The seed of the Purple Egg-Plant must be sown 
in a hot-bed about the first of March, and the sashes 
kept down close until the plants come up, after 
which a httle air may be given in the heat of the 
day. Towards the middle of May, the plants 
should be set out from twenty-four to thirty inches 
apart, in a rich warm piece of ground, and if kept 
clean, and a little earth drawn up to their stems 



42 ENDIVE, OR SUCCORY. 

when about a foot high, they will produce plenty 
of fruit. 

The plants of the white kind may be raised in 
the ^ame manner, and transplanted into pots in 
May, or if some of the seed be sown in a warm 
place the first week in May, they will come to per- 
fection in course of the summer. 



ENDIVE, OR SUCCORY. Chicore^ des jar- 
dins. Cicliorhim endiva. 

Varie Ti E s . — Green Curled — White Curled — Broad 

Leaved Batavutn 

The proper kind of Endive for early sowing, is 
the Green curled. A small quantity of this may 
be sown at diiferent times in April and May, for 
those who would have it early. These crops will 
be very apt to run to seed ; for this reason, it will be 
best to delay the sowing of seeds for general crops 
until June and July. If a small quantity of each 
kind of seed be sown two or three times in these 
months, they will produce a plentiful supply for 
use in the fall and eaily part of the w inter When 
the plants are three or four inches high, they should 
be transplanted into good ground, to the distance of 
a foot from each other, and immediately watered ; 
or if they are set out in cloudy or wet weather, it 
will save this trouble. The plants will require to 
be hoed and attended to in the same manner as 
Lettuce, until grown to a moderate size, when they 
must be blanched. Select the large and full-heart- 
ed plants, and with bass or other strings, tie them a 
little above the middle, not too tight, previously ga- 
thering up the leaves regularly in the hand. This 
must be done when the leaves are very dry, other- 
wise the plants will rot. 



GARDEN BURNET AND INDIAN CORN. 4S 

GARDEN BURNET. Pimprenelle. Poierium 
sanguisorba. 

The common Garden Burnet is a native of Eng- 
land, and grows wild in dry calcareous soils. It has 
fibrous roots, and retains its leaves throughout the 
year, but the stalks are annual. It has long been 
cultivated as a choice salad herb. The leaves be- 
ing of a warm nature, are also used in cool tank- 
ards, and for imparting an agreeable flavour to wine 
and cider. The seed may be sown in drills about 
an inch deep, aiid twelve inches apart, in March or 
April ; at \v\vr,h time, the roots of old plants may 
be parted otf, and the slips planted out separately. 



INDIAN CORN. Mais. Zeamayz^ 

Varieties. — Farly Golden Sioux — Early Canadian 

— Early Jefferson Siveet or Sugar — Large 

Southern Horsetooth — Large Flour White — JVon- 
pareil or Pearl (Curious) — Mottled — Curious 
White. 

The different kinds ^f Early Corn intended for 
boiling wlien young, or others as curiosities, may 
be planted in the garden the last week in April, in 
bills four feet apart, or in drills. If some of each be 
planted in separate beds at the same time, they will 
come in for the table one after the other in regular 
succession. After this, if any particular kind be 
preferred, it may be planted at different plantings 
in May and June. If the ground be poor, mix a 
shovel full of old manure with the earth in each hill 
before the seeds are planted, and after the plants 
are up strong, scatter a tea-cup full of wood ashes 
around each hill. This, with attentive hoeing and 
hilling, will cause it to produce ears early. Deep 
5 



44 LEEK AND LETTUCE. 

digging between the hills is very beneficial when 
the corn is about eighteen inches high. 



LEEK. PoiRREAU. Jlllium porrum. 
Varieties. — Large Scotch or fVelch Flag — London. 

This is a wholesome and useful herb, and is so 
hardy as to endure the extremes of heat and cold 
without injury. The seed may be sown in March 
or early in April, on a bed of rich earth, either broad 
cast, or in drills an inch deep. If the ground be 
kept loose and clean, the plants will be large 
enough to transplant in June or early in July, and 
should be set out in good ground, in rows twelve 
inches asunder, and the plants five or six inches 
apart in the rows. They will grow well in a warm 
border, which at this season is useless for many 
kinds of vegetables. After the plants have taken 
root, they should be frequently hoed and kept free 
from weeds. 

Those who wish to have leeks blanched, may 
plant them in trenches three or four inches deep, 
and as the plants progress in growth the earth 
should be drawn into the trenches. 



LETTUCE. Laitue Lactuca saliva crispa. 

Varieties — Early Curled Silesia — Large Green 
Head, or Cabbage — Imperial — Hardy Green — 

Brown Dutch — Grand Mmiral Madeira, or 

Passion — Tennisball, or Rose — Drumhead — Mag- 
num Bonum Coss — Ice Coss — White Coss or Loaf—- 
Green Coss. 

The seeds of the Hardy kinds of Lettu(fe may be 
sown from the first to the middle of September in 



MELON. 45 

rich ground free from weeds ; it answers very well 
sown with Spinach, and should be covered over with 
straw at the approach of severe weather. These 
plants, if transplanted into warm borders, or in 
the open ground as early in March as the weather 
permits, will produce fine heads early in May. 
The best of the tender kinds may be raised early, 
by sowing the seeds in hot beds the first w^eek in 
March, which being transplanted into good ground, 
will produce fine heads before the approach of warm 
weather. The other kinds may be sown in warm 
borders in March or April and transplanted in May. 
The Coss LeJtuce requires to be blanched ; this is 
done by gathering up the leaves of the plants, and 
tying bass round them when grown to perfection. 

All kinds of Lettuce intended for heading, should 
be planted into good ground twelve inches distant 
from each other every way ; the plants should be 
carefully hoed every other week during their 
growth ; the first hoeing should be done in about 
two weeks after they are transplanted. 

If head Lettuce be required at other seasons than 
the spring, it may be obtained in the fall by sow- 
ing the seed in August, or in the winter by means 
of a graden frame and glazed sashes. 



MELON. Melon. Cucumis melo. 

Varieties — Green Citron — Murraxfs Pine *^pple — 
Persian — J^utmeg — Large Cantaleitpe — Pomegra- 
nate, or Musk Scented — Star — (a few extra kinds 
from Europe in 25 cent papers.) 

The Melon is an exotic plant, growing wild in 
Asia. It is cultivated in all the warm countries of 



46 MELON. 

Europe, and also in Africa and America, where its 
salubrious and cooling fruit is greatly esteemed. 

For the varieties of the Musk or Cantaieupe Me- 
lons, prepare a piece of rich ground the first week 
in May, manure it and give it a good digging ; 
then mark it out into squares of six feet every way ; 
at the angle of every square dig a hole twelve 
inches deep and eighteen over, into which put seven 
or eight inches deepof old rotten dung, throw there- 
on about four inches of earth, and DjIX the dung and 
earth well with the spade, after which draw the re- 
mainder of the earth over the mixture, so as to form 
a round hill about a foot broad at top. When your 
hills are all prepared as above, plant in each towards 
the centre, eight or nine grains 'of good melon seed, 
distant two inches from one another, and cover 
them about half an inch deep. Wlien the plants 
are up and in a state of forwardness, producing 
their rough leaves, they must be i binned to two or 
three in each hill ; draw earth from time to time 
round the hills, and as high about the roots of the 
plants as the seed leaves. As soon as the plants 
spread into branches they should be stopped, by 
pinching off the top of the first runner bud as di- 
rected for Cucumbers; after which keep the 
ground perfectly free from weeds by frequent hoe- 
ings. 

Those who wish to raise Melons in perfection, 
must be careful to plant them remote from an in- 
ferior sort, also from Cucumbers, Squashes, and 
Gourds; as degeneracy will infMlliby be the con- 
sequence of inattention to these paiticulars. Tci 
prevent the ravages of flies &c., see Cucumbei . 



MELON. AND MUSTARD. 47 

WATER MELON. Melon d'eau. Cucurbita 
citrullus. 

Varieties — Carolina Water — Long Island Water 
— *^pple Seeded Water. 

The Water Melon, though by some considered 
a species of the former, is a distinct genus of exotic 
plants. They afford a very refreshmg article of 
diet in our warm summers. Dr. Pallas, in the ac- 
count of his journey to the southern provinces in 
Russia in 1793 and 94, speaking of a colony of 
Moravians at Sarepta, or Sapa on the river Volga, 
says, " the ingenious inhabitants of this town brew 
a kind of beer from their very abundant and cheap 
Water Melons, with the addition of hops ; they also 
prepare a conserve or marmalade from this fruit, 
which is a good substitute for syrup or treacle." 

In order to have Water Melons in good perfection, 
you must fix upon a piece of very rich hght soil ; 
prepare, sow, and manage it in every respect as is 
directed for the others, only let the hills be nine or 
ten feet distant every way. 



MUSTARD. MouTARDE. Sinapis, etc. 

The ^Iba^ or White Mustard ,^ grows spontaneous- 
ly in the fields in England, it is also cultivated as a 
small salad, as well as for seed. The seed yields 
from every 100 pounds, from 33 to 36 pounds of 
sweet mild oil. 

The Nigra, or Common Mustard, is also a na- 
tive of England. The condiment, called mustard, 
and in daily use at our tables, is prepared from the 
seeds of this species. 

5* 



18 MUSTARD AND NASTURTIUM » 

The Erysimum is a genus of plants comprising 
ien species, four of which are natives of Britain. 

1. Tlie Officinale. This species possesses a 
warm and acrid flavour ; and when cultivated is 
used as an early pot herb. Its seeds taken inter- 
nally promote expectoration, tlie dicharge of urine, 
and other fluid secretions. The juice has been 
employed with unparalleled success in ulcers of the 
throat, &c. 

2. The Barbarea, or Winter Cress, is used as a 
salad in spring and autumn : some boil them as 
Kale. 

3. The Miari is also cultivated as a salad. The 
Prussians eat the leaves in the spring with salted 
meat. In Wales it is frequently used as a frying 
herb, and in England the leaves are used with Let- 
luce, &c. 

4. The Cheiranthoides is eaten by horses, cows, 
goats, sheep and swine ; and is used by the coun- 
try people for destroying vvorms. 

The seeds of all the kinds of Mustard may be 
sown in clean rich ground in April and May ; and 
for a fall salad in September, in shallow drills. 



NASTURTIUM. Capucine. Syhestre. 

There are of the Nasturtium a major and a mi- 
nor kind; the former being of a large running 
growth is the most productive. The seeds of the 
running kind should be sown in April or early in 
May, in drills about an inch deep, near fences, or 
pales ; or trellises should be fixed on which they 
can climb and have support; for they will always 
be more productive in this way than when suffered 
to trail on the ground. The dwarf kind may be 
planted in hillsj two or three seeds in a hill, 



OKRA AND ONION. 4& 

OKRA. GoMBo. Hibiscus esculentus. 

The green capsules of this plant are used in soups, 
and its ripe seeds, if burnt and ground like coffee, 
can scarcely be distinguished therefrom. 

The seed should be planied in good rich ground, 
the first or second week in May. Draw drills about 
two inches deep, and four feet assunder, into which 
drop the seeds at the distance of six or eight inches 
from one another, or rather drop two or three in 
each place, lest the one should not grow, and cover 
them near an inch in depth ; as they advance in 
growth thin them out, earth them up two or three 
times, and they will produce abundantly. 



ONION. OiGNON. Mium Cepa. 

Varieties. — White Portugal — Yelloio Dutch—White 

Spanish Silver Skinned — Strasburgh — Large 

Deptford Red. 

Of the several varieties of Onions, the Strasburgh 
and Large Deptford Red are the best for a general 
crop. The bulbs are handsome, of firm grow^th, 
and keep w^ell through the winter. The White Por- 
tugal and Silver Skinned Onions are of a mild taste, 
and generally turn out very profitable crops. 

Previous to sowing onion seed for a general crop, 
the ground should be well prepared by digging in 
some of the oldest and strongest manure that can 
be got. Tiie earlier this be done in the spring the 
better ; and the planting should not be delayed lon- 
ger than I he middle of April. The seed may be 
sown broad cast, or in drills one inch deep and 
twelve inches apart. When the plants are up strong 
they should be hoed. Those beds that are to stand 



50 ONION. 

for a full crop, should be thinned out while young, 
to the distance of two or three inches from each oth- 
er; if a few should be required for use after this, 
those can be taken which incline more to tops than 
roots, and if the beds be frequently looked over and 
the small and stalky plants taken away where they 
stand thickest, the remaining bulbs will grow to a 
larger size. The ground should be hoed at least 
three times in the early part of their growth ; but if 
the season proves damp, and weeds vegetate luxu- 
riantly, they must be removed by the hand, because, 
after the Onions have begun to bulb, it would be im- 
proper to stir them with a hoe. 

When the greenness is gone out of the tops of 
Onions, it is time to take them up, for from this timo 
the fibrous roots decay. After they are pulled, they 
should be laid out to dry, and when dry, removed 
to a place of shelter. 

The small Onions may be planted in the spring 
following; even an Onion which is partly rotten 
will produce good bulbs, if the seed stems be taken 
off as soon as they appear. 

The Alium Flstolosum, or Welsh Onions, are cul- 
tivated for spring salad ; they form no bulbs, but 
are very hrirdy. If the seed be sown early in Sep- 
tember in rich ground, although the crops may die 
down in the Winter, yet the roots will continue 
sound, and put up new leaves early in the spring. 

The AUum Proliferum, or Tree Onion, is propa- 
gated by planting the bulbs in spring or autumn, 
either the root bulbs, or those produced on the top 
of the stalks ; the latter, if planted in the spring, 
will produce fine Onions. These may be planted 
in rows with a dibble, the same as Shallots. 

The Potato Onion is of late introduction into this 
country. It does not produce seed as other Onions, 
but is iacreased by the root. One single Onion will 



PARSLEY AND PARSNIP. 51 

produce six or seven in a clump, underground, simi- 
iar to potatoes. 

The bulbs are generally planted in the spring", 
from twelve to eighteen inches apart, but they will 
survive the winter, if planted in the fall, by being 
slightly covered. 



PARSLEY. Persil. Jlpium petroselinum. 

Varieties. — Curled^ or Double — Siberian — Ham- 
burgh, or Large rooted — Dwarf Curled. 

As Parsley seed, sown late in the season, is apt 
to lay in the ground some time before it vegetates, 
the general crop should be sown by the early part 
of April, in drills an inch deep, and one foot asun- 
der. After the plants are up, let them be kept clean 
by frequent hoeings. In order to have Parley 
green through the winter, the old leaves should be 
picked off in September. If some of the roots be 
taken up early in November, and laid in a frame or 
light cellar, the leaves will keep green a long time ; 
the remainder may be covered up with straw in the 
place where it grows. 



PARSNIP. Panax s. Pastinaca sativa. 

Varieties. — Large Dutch, or Swelling. 

Parsnip seed may be sowed from the middle of 
March to the last week in April, in drills one inch 
deep and fourteen inches apart ; but as this vegeta- 
ble requires the whole season to grow in, the sooner 
the seed is planted the better. Parsnips grow best 



52 PARSNIP. 

in a deep soil manured well the preceding fall. Sow 
the seeds thick along the drills, and rake them in 
evenly. 

When the plants are two or three inches high, 
thin them to the distance of six or eight inches in 
the rows. They should be kept free from weeds by 
regular hoeings through the summer ; and in the 
fall they will be fit for use. 



PEPPER. PoivRE ou PiMENT. Capsicwu annuum. 

Varieties. — Long or Cayenne — Tomato or Squash 
Shaped — Bell or Ox-Heart — Cherry — Bird or 
West Indian. 

The seeds of the different kinds of Capsicums 
may be sown in a hot bed in March, or on a warm 
border early in May. The plants may be after- 
wards transplanted into good rich ground from 
eighteen inches to two feet distant from each other. 

Those who do not want Peppers early in the sea- 
son, may sow the seeds in the open ground in May, 
in drills two feet asunder, and half an inch deep. 
When the plants are grown an inch or two high, thin 
them to the distance of fifteen or eighteen inches in 
the rows. The ground should be afterwards hoed 
deep round the plants, and kept free from weeds by 
repeated hoeings. 



PEAS, 53 

PEAS. Pois. Pisum sativum. 

Varieties. — Early Washington {or May Pea^) 
grotvs to the height of 2 1-2 feet — Early Dou- 
ble blossomed Frame 3 feet — Early Aimble Dick 

2 1-2 feet— Early Frame 2 1-2 ftet— Early 
Golden Hotspur Z feet — Early (harlton S feet 
— Early Petersburg 2 1-2 Jeet — Dwarf Blue 
Imperial 2 feet — Divarf Blue Prussian 2 1-2 

feet — Dwarf Prolific, or Poor Man^s, orStraiv- 
berry 1 1-2 feet — Dwarf Spanish or Fan, 1 

foot — Dwarf Marrowfat 3 1-2 feet — Dwarf 

Sugar, {eatable pods) 3 fett — Dwarf fVhite 
Albany 1 1-2 feet {Field Pea) — Netv Nonpareil 

3 feet — Ladies^ fi'^g^^ Marrows — Waterloo 
Blues 4: feet— Matchless or true Fall Marrowfat 
6 feet — Large Gray Rouncival 4:Jeet — Dutch 
Gray 2 1-2 feet —Knight'' s Tall Marrows, or 
Honey Pea 6 feet — Knight's Dwarf Marrows 
2 feet — Tall Crooked Podded Sugar 6 feet, 
(^eatable pods) —Dwarf Green Albany 1 1-2 feet 
{Field Pea.) 

The above list and description of the most esteem- 
ed kinds of Peas, is taken from tlie Catalogue of 
the Messrs. Thorburn and Sons of New-York. If 
ihey are rightly described, they will grow to differ- 
ent heights, according to soil and season. This de- 
scription, however, may serve as a guide for the 
gardener in planting. The Dwarf Peas require 
less distance between row and row, and shorter 
sticks than the tall kinds. 

Planting the early kinds of Peas should com- 
mence as soon in the spring as tlie giound can be 
brought into good condition : all the other sorts, as 
well as the early, will answer for successive crops ; 
to obtain which, a few of the most esteemed kinds 



34 PEAS. 

should be planted at the same time every two weeks, 
from March until the end of May. Persons desirous 
of having Peas throughout the summer and fall, may 
plant a few in June, July and August. The Peus 
should be then soaked in soft water five or six hours 
before planting, and if the ground be dry it should 
be watered in the drills. 

Gardeners practice diflferent modes of planting 
Peas ; some plant them m ridges, others in drills, 
some in single rows, others in double, some use 
sticks for the dwarf kinds, and others not; those 
who study neatness will have them all rodded 
though the most dwarfish may do without. 

All the different sorts of Peas may be planned in 
double or single lows from four to six feet apart ac- 
cording to the differeni heights tbey may be expect- 
ed to grow. If two drills be made three inches 
deep, and six or eight inches npart, and the seed 
dropped along each drill moderately thick, tbey will 
yield better than single rows, and will save sticks. 
When the plants are two or* three inches high let 
them be hoed, drawing at the same time a little 
earth up to their stems, when th*^.y get to double 
that height let them be hoed again, at the same 
time place a row of sticks in the middle of your 
double rows, and a few shoiter and smaller ones on 
the outside of each row, to assist the Peas in climb- 
ing to the main support. You must be governed as 
to the length of your sticks by the description of 
your peas. There is a great advantage in having 
sticks of a suitable height, to the various kinds of 
Peas ; the sticks should not only be sufficiently tall 
but also branchy, that the plants may readily take 
liold; and they should be prepared fan-fasihion, so 
that the side branches may extend only along 
the rows. As the plants progress in growth, let 
them be repeatedly hoed and earthed up ; this will 
promote a plentiful bearing. 



POTATOES. 56 

POTATOES. PoMME DE terre. Solanum 
tuberosum. 

The varieties of Potatoes being very numerous, it 
is unnecessary for me to point out any particular 
kinds; some of the earliest should however be plant- 
ed first in the spring, to produce young- Potatoes in 
due season, but th^y are not so suitable lor a full 
crop as the late varieties. 

Potatoes being of such extensive utility, various 
expedients have been contrived with a view to find 
out the l>est method of preparing the seed. In 
many parts of England (where Potatoes equal to 
any in the world are raised,) the farmers never plant 
Potatoes whole, they take the Potatoes as they 
come to hand, and in cutting them take care to 
have two good eyes in each set, the small Potatoes 
are deprived of the sprout or nose end, as it is gener- 
ally considered that tliis is essentially necessary to 
t])e production of a good crop. I have frequently 
kiiown from five to 600 bushels raised from an acre 
with small Potatoes alone, cut in this way. Some 
|)refer planting the Potatoes immediately after they 
are cut ; the better way is to get them cut one or 
two weeks before the time of planting, and to lay 
them out on a barn or garret floor to dry. 

Potatoes may be planted from the first w^eek in 
April until July, either in hills or drills ; the best 
way for a garden is to plant them in drills four or 
five inches deep, and about thirty inches asunder, 
the sets may be dropped six or eio^ht inches apart, 
and if a small quantity of combmaker's horn shav- 
ings* or sea weed be used as a manure for the early 
kinds, it will expedite their growth ; the ground 
should be hoed as soon as the plants come up, and 
as they progress in growth it will be proper to mould 
or earth them up twice. 
6 



56 POTATOES AND PUMPKINS, 

POTATO, SWEET. Pomme de terre, douce. 
Convolvulus batatas^ 

Sweet Potatoes may be raised in the vicinity of 
Nevv-Yorii, by means of a hot bed ; they should be 
planted whole, early in April, three or four inches 
deep and about the same distance apart. In about 
a month they will throw up sprouts. When these 
are three inches above ground, part them oft' from 
the Potato, which if suffered to remain will pro- 
duce more sprouts for a successive planting ; trans- 
plant them into rich light soil in rows four feet apart 
and the plants about a foot apart, in the rows, or in 
hills four feet apart. Keep them clear of weeds until 
the vines begin to cover the ground, after which 
they will grow freely. 

In sandy ground it is well to put a shovel full of 
rotten manure to each plant. 



PUMPKINS. CiTROuiLLE ou PoTiRON. Cucuv- 
hita pepo. 

Varieties — Large Cheese — Connecticut Field — 
Finest Yelloiv Family — J\Iammoth, 

Pumpkins are planted in hills which require to 
be eight on ten feet apart, two or three plants will 
be sufficient in each ; they are not so tenacious of a 
particular soil as either Melons or Cucumbers, but 
will grow freely in any dry and tolerably rich 
ground ; the seed may be planted in May and June, 
in the open ground, and the plants should be kept 
constantly clean and free from weeds. 

When you intend to cultivate either Melons, Cu- 
cumbers, Squashes, Pumpkins, or the like kinds, 
on an extensive scale, you can prepare the ground 
with the plough, which will save much labour ; 



PATIENCE DOCK AND RADISH. 57 

and also, afterwards as the weeds advance, plough 
and harrow between the plants till they begin to 
run, after which, the hoe must be used. 



PATIENCE DOCK. Rhubarbe des hioines. 

Rumex patientia. 

The Rumex Patientia is perennial ; the leaves 
are large, long and succulent, and are by some 
very much esteemed. The plant may be propa- 
gated by offsets from the root, taken off in the 
spring, or late autumn months, and planted in rows 
eighteen inches asunder, and eight inches from one 
another in the rows. If the seed be sown in Octo- 
ber or November, it will. rise treely in the spring, 
or it may be planted in March or April, in drills one 
inch and a half deep, and eighteen inches apart, 
and afterwards thinned to the proper distance. 



RADISH Radis ou rave. Raphanis sativus^ 

etc. 

Varieties — Early Frame — Early Scarlet — Short 
Top — Long Salmon — Purple Short Top — Long 
White Summer, or J^aples — CheiTy or Scarlet Tur- 
nip rooted — Violet coloured Turnip — White Tur- 
nip rooted — Black, Fall or Spanish. 

Those who are desirous of having good Radishes 
early in the sprmg, should have a warm border pre- 
pared in the very best manner, so as to be ready to 
sow^ some of the short top scarlet by the middle of 
March. If the ground should not be in good con- 
dition to receive the seed at this time, let it be de- 
layed a few days; and by the first of April take 
care to have another bed prepared in the open 



58 ROCAMBOLE AND RHUBARB. 

ground, by digging in some good strong manure. 
The seed may be sown broadcast, and raked evenly 
in. If you wish to have Radishes in regular suc- 
cession, sow seeds of the most esteemed kinds eve- 
ry two weeks until the middle of May : if any be 
sown after this, it shoukl be the Whue Turnip or 
Black Spanish, these will endure the heat better 
than the others, and may be sown in drills in small 
quantities throughout the summer, until the latter 
end of August, when the other kinds may be sown 
in regular succession until the first of October. 
Market gardeners may prepare the ground with a 
plough, and cover such seeds as may be sown 
broadcast with a harrow. 



ROCAMBOLE. Ail d'espagne. Mium scor- 
odoprasum. 

This and the Allium Sativum or common Gar- 
lic, is raised in some gardens. Many people con- 
sider tlie Rocambole to be of a milder and better 
flavour, but the bulbs are not so large as those of 
the Garlick. 

This is a very hardy plant, and will grow in al- 
most every soil or situation. It is propagated either 
by the roots or seeds, the former ought to be sepa- 
rated and planted, at the same time, and in the 
same manner as Shallots. 

When ruised from seed ; they may be sown in 
drills either shortly after the seeds are ripe, or in the 
succeeding Spring; they require only to be kept 
clear of weeds ; and, in the following autumn, may 
be taken up, the bulbs parted, and planted as be- 
fore 



RHUBARB. 59 

RHUBARB. Rhubarbe. Rheum. 

Rhubarb is a genus of exotic plants, comprizing 
seven species, of which the following are the prin- 
cipal : — 

1. The Rhupontkum or Common Rhubarb, a 
native of Thrace and Syiia, which has long been 
cultivated in British gardens for the footstalks of 
the leaves, that are frequently used in pies and 
tarts. 

2. The Rheum Undulutum is also cultivated for 
the same use. 

3. The Palmatum or True Officinale Rhubarb, 
is a native of China and the East Indies, whence 
its culture has been introdu<-ed into Europe ; it pro- 
ducesa thick fleshy ro t, externally jello wish brown, 
but internally of a bright yellow colour streaked 
with red veins. It grows to good perfection in Scot- 
land as far North as Perthshire, (Lat. 56 ;) also in 
England, Turkey, and various other parts of Eu- 
rope. When the importance of this root is consid- 
ered as a medicine, it is a matter of astonishment 
that it has not been more generally introduced into 
the United States. 

The several kinds of Rhiib-irb may be propagat- 
ed by offsets, taken from the roots early in the 
Spring; or from seed sown late in the Fall, or in 
March and the early part of April. The indispen- 
sable points to the production of good roots of the 
Palmatum^ are depth and richness of soil, which 
should be well pulverized before the plants are set 
out. Prepare beds of fine mould eighten inches 
deep ; in these put in the plants from the seed bed, 
ten or twelve inches apart , this must be done 
when they have attained the height of four or five 
inches, and have thrown out as many leaves. 

The first season is the most critical, and much 
care is necessary. If the weather be hot, the nur- 
6* 



60 RHUBARB. 

seiy must be shaded, and at all events continually 
watered; for water, though hurtful to old plant s^ is 
now of the first consequence. Wet we.ither is the 
most proper time to plant in. The b ds must be 
kept free from weeds through the Summer, and on 
the approach of severe weather, covered up with 
dry htter. In the early part of the Spring this must 
be taken off, and in the beginning of April the 
plants must be transplanted into ground dug and 
prepared as directed for Asparagus. Those who 
cultivate the Pi Ituatum for the sake of the roots, 
should dig the ground tvvo or three spades deep, and 
place the plants four feet apart every wa)^ As to 
the other kinds it is not so particular, so as the 
plants have room to grow. In the early part of No- 
vember, the leaves being then decayed, the beds 
should be covered with dry jitter; before this be 
done, a little earth should be drawn round the 
crowns of the plants. If there be any danger of 
water lodging, make trenches to carry it off. In 
the month of March the beds should be stiipped of 
their covering, and the ground wc!i lioed and clear- 
ed of weeds. If R'mimrb stalks be required for use 
early in the spring, >hev m*^ be obtained by plac- 
ing flour barrels or deep tubs over some of the 
plants, and .-overing them up with fresh stable 
dung. Some m il^e the beds at once with the seeds; 
the objections to this pian ;«re, first, that the plants 
cannot be so well protected in the early part of their 
growth as those ;aised in smnil beds ; and, secondly, 
that the ground becomes ^o hard in the course of a 
year as to prevent the roots from running to the 
ilepth they otherwise would. 

The roots of the Pahiiatum must not be taken up 
until six or seven years old. The stalks of the other 
kinds may he cut every spring as soon as the leaves 
are expanded. After being stripped of their outer 



SALSIFY. 61 

covering and cut up mto small pieces, they 
are used in pie> and tarts. Cobbett supposes, 
" that a hundred wagon lotids of Ixhnbarb stidks are 
annually sold in the markets of Lonelon, at a shilling 
sterling- per bunch." (American Gardener.) Rhu- 
barb makes an excellent preserve when cut into 
small pieces about an inch and a half long, and 
parboiled with sugar- 

In England, laige drying houses liave been erect- 
ed, for the purpose of curing the roots of the Pal- 
matum;but this business may be done in this 
country as it is done in China : by the heat of the 
sun. After the roots have been well washed, the 
small fibres should be cut off. These are then cut 
transversely into pieces of about two inches thick, 
and dried on boards, turning tliem several times a 
day, in order to prev<-nt the escape of the yellow 
juice, on which its uiedicinal qualities depend. In 
four or five days, they may be strung upon strings, 
and suspended in a shady, but airy and dry situa- 
tion, and in tw^o months afterwards it will be fit for 
the market. 



SALSIFY. Salsifis ou Cercifis. Tragopogon 
porrfohiis. 

This plant g-rows spontaneously in the open fields 
in England, and is by some highly valued for its 
white eatable root, and for the young shoots rising 
in the spring from plants a year old; these, when 
gathered while green and tender, are good to boil 
and eat ia the manner of Asparagus. Some have 
carried their fondness for this plant so far as to call 
it Vegetable Oyster. They require the same kind 
of soil and management as Carrots and Parsnips. 



62 SCORZONARA. 

The seeds may be sown the latter end of March, or 
early in April, an inch deep in drills twelve inches 
apart. When the plants are two or three inches 
high, they should be thinned to the distance of six 
inches from each other, and afterwards hoed. The 
i^round should be kept clean and loose round the 
plants, by repeated hoeings ; and in the autumn 
they will be fit for use. The roots may be taken 
up late in the fall, and secured in moist sand from 
the air ; or be suffered to remain out, and dug up 
when wanted. 

The mode of cooking recommended by an Ame- 
rican author is, " to cut the roots transversely into 
thin pieces ; boil them in water, or milk and wa- 
ter ; when boiled soft, mash them and thicken the 
whole with flour to some degree of stiffness ; then 
fry them in the fat of salt pork or buiter ; they are 
a luxury." In England the tops are boiled, and 
served up with poached eggs. 



SCORZONARA. Scorsonere. Scorzonera 
Hispanica. 

This plant has long been raised in British gar- 
dens for culinary purposes, and especially as an in- 
gredient in soups, on account of its palatable and 
nourishing roots. Some boil and eat them like 
Carrots, &c. ; in which case, they should be de- 
prived of their rind, and immersed in cold water for 
half an hour, or they will be bitter. They are raised 
precisely in the same manner as Salsify. If the 
seed be sown in April, in a good deep soil, the roots 
will attain perfection in autumn, and continue good 
all the winter. They last from three to four years, 



SEA-KALE. 63 

according to the quality of tlie earth and care be- 
stowed on them ; but it is better to raise a few froi\i 
seed every year. 



SEA-KALE. Chou marin. Crambe maritima. 

This plant is found on the sea shore in the south- 
ern paits of England, where it grows spontaneous- 
ly. As soon as it appears above ground, the inha- 
bitants remove the pebbles or sand with which it is 
usually covered to the depth of several inches, and 
cut off the young and tender leaves and stalks, as 
yet unexpanded, and in a blanched state, close to 
the crown of the root ; it is then in its greatest per- 
fection. When the leaves are full grown, they 
become hard and bitter, and the plant is not eat- 
able. 

It is cultivated in private gardens, and for sale in 
various parts of England. Cultivators have differ- 
ed widely respecting the mode of treating this plant; 
many conceiving that stones, gravel, and sea sand 
are essential to its growth, have gone to the expense 
of providing it : but it has been discovered that it 
will grow much more luxuriantly in a rich sandy 
loam, where the roots can penetrate to a great 
depth. 

The seeds of Sea-Kale should be sown as soon as 
they are ripe. If fresh seeds cannot be obtained by 
the end of October, let them be sown as early in 
the Spring as the ground can be brought into good 
condition, in drills an inch and a half deep, and 
fourteen or sixteen inches asunder; the plants 
should be afterwards thinned out to the distance of 
six or eight inches from each other in the rows, and 



64 SEA-KALE. 

kept clear of weeds by frequent hoeings through 
the summer. When the plants are a year old, every 
third row may be taken up, and also every other 
plant in each row, leaving them fourteen or sixteen 
inches apart ; these may be transplanted into good 
ground prepared as directed for Asparagus. Plant 
two rows in each bed, about eighteen inches apart ; 
the best way is to make two drills three inches deep, 
and with a dibble set in the plants fifteen or sixteen 
inches from each other ; when these drills are fill- 
ed, the crowns of the plants will be covered nearly 
two inches, but they will soon push through the 
earth. The plants left in the seed bed may form a 
permanent bed, which should be forked or dug be- 
tween the rows ; previous to this being done, lay on 
an inch or two of good rotten maimre, and incor- 
porate it with the earth around the plants. 

Some make new plantations with pieces of old 
roots, which should be cut up in lengt hs of about 
two inches, and planted in March or April, three or 
four inches deep, at the distances before directed for 
the plants 

At the approach of winter, the leaves will die 
away and disappear. The beds should be then 
thickly covered with dung, leaves or sea weed ; this 
will not only protect the plants from frost, but will 
cause them to shoot up early in the spring. As soon 
as the frost is out of the ground, this may be taken 
oflf, or if well rotted, it may be mixed up with the 
earth ; the crowns of the plants should then be co- 
vered to the depth of ten or twelve inches for blanch- 
ing. 

Some blanch it by heaping on it sea sand ; some, 
common sand and orravel ; and others with large 
Q^arden pots inverted, and placed immediately over 
ihe plants. If these pots be covered up with fresh 



SEA-KALE. 65 

iiorse dung, it will forward the shoots in growth, 
and make them sweeter and more tender. 

When your plants have been covered in either 
method three or four weeks, exanihie them, and if 
you find that the stalks have si ct up three or four 
inches, you may begin cutting ; should you w^ait 
till all the shoots are of considerable length, your 
crop will come in too much at once, for in this plant 
there is not that successive growth Avhich there is 
in Asparagus ; you may continue cutting until you 
see the heads of flowers begni lo form ; and if at this 
time you uncover it entirely, and let it proceed to 
that state in which Broccoh is usually cut, and use 
it as such, you will find it an excellent substitute ; 
and this greatly enhances tlie value of the plant ; 
as Broccoli does not stand our winter frost, and can 
only be had when carefully protected, (as recom- 
mended under that head ;) but this plant is suffi- 
ciently hardy to bear our winter's frost without 
much injury. You are not to w^eaken the roots too 
much by over cutting, for in that case it would in- 
jure their next year's bearing ; some of the shoots 
should be allowed to grow, to carry on a proper ve- 
getation, to strengthen and enlarge the roots. Great 
care should be taken in cutting, not to injure the 
^crowns of the roots by cutting the shoots too close 
to them. Sea-Kale should be dressed soon after it 
is cut, as the goodness of the article greatly depends 
on its not being long exposed to the air. 

If you choose to force Sea-Kale, dig a trench all 
round a small bed, about three feet wide and thirty 
inches deep ; fill it with hot dung, and as it sinks, 
raise it. This will make the plants grow ; and if 
hand lights are set over them, it will accelerate their 
growth. 



66 SORREL AND SKIRRET. 

SORREL. OsEiLLE DEs JARDINS. Ruiiiax 
acetosa. 

The seeds of the Broad Leaved English Sorrel, 
and also of the Round Leaved or French SoireJ, 
may be sown in April and May, rn beds or borders, 
aad covered lightly. W hen t tie plants are up, keep 
them free from weeds ; i hey may be afterwards 
thinned to the distance of nine inches from each 
other, or transplanted into fresh ground. 

The old standing roots of either kind may be se- 
parated and planted for increase; this should be 
done in April. As fast as tlie plants shoot up to 
seed cut them down close, and a new crop of leaves 
will be produced. It is used raw as a salad, or boil- 
ed for greens. 



SKIRRET. CiiERVis, ou Gyrole. Slum sisa- 
rum. 

This plant is cultivated first by seed, and after- 
wards by offsets U\ken from the old roots, and plan- 
ted very early in the spring, and before they begin 
to shoot, but it is best to i aise a small bed from seed 
every year, as the roots grow longer than those rais- 
ed from slips, and are less liable to be sticky. The 
seed may be sown in drills the latter end of March, 
or early in April, and managed the same as Salsify, 
Parsnips, &c. In Autunm, when the leaves begin 
to decay, the roots will be fit to use, and continue 
so till they begin to shoot in the spring. 

Skirrets should be planted in a light moist soil, for 
iii dry land the roots are generally small, unless the 
season proves wet. The root of t he Skirret is com- 
posed of several fleshy tubers, as large as a man's 
finger, and joining together at top. They are eaten 



SHALLOT AiND SPINNAGE. 67 

boiled, and stewed with butter, pepper and salt, or 
rolled in flour and tried, or else cold with oil and 
vinegar, being first boiled. They have much of the 
taste and flavour of a Parsnip, but a great deal more 
palatable. 



SHALLOT. EcHALOTE. Allium Ascalonkum. 

The true Shallot is a native of Palestine, and is 
considered to possess the most agreeable flavour of 
anyof the AUiiim genus. It is consequently high- 
1}^ deserving of cultivation. They are propagated 
by planting bulbs or offsets in the fall of the year ; 
which may be set out with a dibble, in rows twelve 
inches apart, by four to six inches distance in the 
rows ; or they may be placed in drills two or three 
inches deep and covered up with a trowel or hoe. 
The gardeners about New-York plant large quan- 
tities of the bulbs early in September; by this means 
they are enabled to supply the markets in April and 
May with a Mild Allium which meets a ready sale. 

After the tops die down, the bulbs must be taken 
up, and the offsets divided : a portion of these 
should be kept in a dry place to plant the ensuing 
Autumn. 



SPINACH OR SPINNAGE. Epinard. Spi^ 
nacia. 

Varieties. — Round Leaved, or Summer — Prickly 
or Fall — JVeio Zealand, or Tetragona expansa. 

The Spinacia Oleracea, or common Spinach, is 
very hardy, the seed of which should be sown in se- 
7 



68 SQUASH. 

veral sowings from the first to the end of Septem- 
ber ; the forwardest of these, if covered up with 
straw at the approach of cold weathei, will furnish 
greens for the table when other vegetables are scarce, 
and the latter crops will recovei the efiects of a hard 
winter, and produce a wholesome vegetable early 
in the spring. 

If Spinach seed be sown in rich ground in March 
and April, it will grow freely, but it must be cut be- 
fore the approach of hot weather, or it will run to 
seed. 

It is altogether useless to sow Spinach seed in 
poor ground ; let the ground be well manured, with 
good strong dung, and it will well reward you for 
your trouble by its abundant produce. 

The New Zealand Spinach is of late introduction 
into this country ; its nature seems to be opposite 
to the common Spinach, as it will endure the heat 
better than the cold. It may be obtained in the 
summer, by planting the seeds in April and May. 
Being of luxuriant growth, it should be planted in 
hills three feet apart, and about two seeds in a hill. 
The leaves will be fit for use during the summer, 
and until late in the fall. 



SQUASH. Gourde Giraumon ou Potiron. 
Cucurbita melopepa. 

Varieties. — Early Bush Summer — Summer Crook 
J^eck — Winter Crook JSTeck, or Bell Vegetable 
Marrow. 

The Early Bush Squashes are best for garden cul - 
ture, and their produce is allowed to be equal in 
quality to the running kinds. The Vegetable Mar- 



TOMATO. 69 

row is also well deserving of cultivation. The seeds 
of these may be planted early in May, in hills four 
or five feet apart, prepared as directed for Melons 
and Cucumbers. The Running Squash may be 
planted at the same time and in the same manner 
as Pumpkins ; and the management of these va- 
rious kinds of vines must be the same in every res- 
pect as Cucumbers and Melons. It is always best 
to put five or six seeds in a hill, as a guard against 
accidents. When the plants are past danger they 
can be thinned to two or there in a hill. 



TOMATO. ToMATE, ou Pomme b'amour. 
Solanum Lycopersicwn. 

The Tomato, or Love Apple, is much cultivated 
for its fruit in soups and sauces, to which it imparts 
an agreeable acid flavour; and is also stewed and 
dressed in various ways, and very much admired. 

The seeds should be sown the early part of March, 
in a slight hotbed, and the plants set out in the 
open ground the first week in May. In private gar- 
dens it will be necessary to plant them near a fence, 
or to provide trellices for them to be trained to, in 
the manner recommended for Nasturtiums ; they 
will however do very well if planted out four feet 
distant from each other every way. 

Tomatoes may be brought to perfection late in 
the summer, by sowing the seed in the open ground 
the first week in May ; these plants will be fit to 
transplant early in June. 



[i. 



70 TURNIPS. 

TURNIP. Navet. Brassica rapo 

[Those mared f, are best for family use] 

Varieties ► — Early White Dutch, f. — Early Garden 
Stone, f. — Wliite Flat or Globe — Green Round or 
Green Top — Red Round, f. or Red Top — Swans 
Egg,f. — Large English J^orfork — Long Tankard^ 
or Hanover, f. — Long Yellow French, /. — Yelloiv 
Maltese,/. — Yellow Aberdeen — Yellow Stone, /. — 
Yellow Swedish or Russia. 

This is a valuable vegetable, and its culture gen- 
erally very well understood. It being tiie last es- 
culent vegetable on our catalogue, that is raised 
from seeds sold at our several seed stores, I shall 
endeavour to stimulate those of our yeomanry who 
have hitherto neglected ihe culture of this field, as 
well as garden production, to exertion and dili- 
gence, by inserting a few short extracts from a pa- 
per that now lies before me. The following state- 
ment relates to a country that contains only about 
GO millions of acres, capable of cultivation, and 
which supports upwards of 20 miUions of human 
beings, besides milHons of brutes from the products 
of its soil ; she also exports vast quantities of some 
kinds of produce from this source. 

" Culture of Turnips. — Until the beginning of 
(he eighteenth century, this valuable root was cul- 
tivated only in gardens or other small spots for cul- 
inary purposes ; but Lord Townsend, who attending 
king George the first in one of his excursions to Ger- 
many in the quality of Secretary of State, observed 
the Turnip cultivated in open and extensive fields, 
as fodder for cattle, and spreading fertility over 
lands naturally barren, on his return to En- 
gland, brought over some of the seed, and strong- 
ly recommended the practice which he had witness- 
ed, to the adoption of his own tenants, who occupied 
a soil similar to that of Hanover. The experi- 



TtJRNIPS. 71 

iTient suoceeded ; the cultivation of Field Turnips 
gradually spread over the whole county of Norfolk, 
and has made its way into every other district of 
England. The reputation of the county as an ag- 
ricultural district, dates from the vast improve- 
ments of heaths, wastes, sheep walks, and warrens, 
by enclosing and manuring ; the fruits of the zeal- 
ous exertions of Lord Townsend and a few neigh- 
bouring land owners, which were ere long imitat- 
ed by others. Since these improvements were ef- 
fected, rents have risen in that county from one or 
two shillings to twenty shilhngs an acre ; a county 
consisting chiefly of sheep walks and rabbit war- 
rens has been rendered highly productive, and by 
dint of management, what was thus gained, has 
been preserved and improved even to the present 
moment. Some of the finest corn crops in the 
world are now growing upon land, which, before 
the introduction of the Turnip husbandry, produc- 
ed a very scanty supply of grass for a few lean and 
half starved rabbits. 

" Mr Colquhoun in his 'Statistical researches' es- 
tiinated the value of the Turnip crop annually 
growing in the united kingdom of Great Britain and 
Ireland at fourteen milhon pounds stei ling, (equal 
to upwards of sixty millions of dollars.) But 
when we further recollect, that it enables the agri- 
culturist to reclaim and cultivate land, which with- 
out its aid, would remain in a hopeless state of nat- 
ural barrenness, thai it leaves the land clean and in 
fine condition, and also to insure a good crop of 
Barley and a kind plant of Clover, and that this 
Clover is found a most excellent preparative for 
Wheat, it will appear that the subsequent advant- 
ages derived from a crop of Turnips must infinitely 
exceed its estimated value as fodder for cattle. (Sir 
William Scott in the Qu rterly Review.") 
7* 



72 TURNIPS. 

As I have undertaken to "assist the Yoimg Gar- 
dener," I shall proceed to point out the most proper 
means of cultivating this truly valuable vegetable 
in his garden. 

The preceding remarks show the kind of land 
ihat may be made capable of producing not only 
Turnips, but other things of equal value. It must 
however be granted, that some soils naturally suit 
particular kinds of vegetables better than others, 
and that in general, exotic plants v/ill succeed best 
iQ such soils as are nearest like their own native 
soil. As we have not always a choice, I would in- 
form the Young Gardener, if he has a very light 
soil which is not suitable for vegetables in general, 
he may sometimes get two crops of Turnips from it 
in one year, by sowing seed for the first crop early 
in March, and that for his second, in the middle of 
August. For general crops it will be better to have 
ground manured with short rotten dung or compost 
containing a considerable proportion of coal orsoap- 
er's ashes. Ground that has been well manured foj' 
preceeding crops, and old ground fresh broken up, 
will suit well for Turnips. 

The most esteemed kinds of Turnips for gardens, 
are marked in the catalogue, I sliall therefore leave 
iny readers to their own choice. 

As the Yellow Swedish or Russian Turnip, or 
Ruta Baga, requires different treatment, I shall 
quote a few lines hom the American Gardener, by 
William Cobbett, the great advocate for Ruta 
Baga. 

" The Swedish Turnip, so generally preferred 
for table use here, and so seldom used for the table 
in England, ought to be sown early in June, in rows 
at a foot apart, and thinned to three inches in the 
rows. About the middle of July they should be 
transplanted upon ridges three feet apart (in a gar^ 



RUSSIAN TURNIP AND HOP. 73 

den) and during their grov/th, ought to be kept 
clear of weeds, and to be dug between twice at 
least as deep as a good spade can be made to go.) 
But the Swedish Turnip is of further use as pro- 
ducing most excellent greens in the Spring, and at 
a very early season. To draw this benefit from 
them, the best way is to leave a row or two in the 
ground, and when the winter is abor.t to set in, 
cover them all over with straw or ceder boughs. 
Take these off when the winter breaks up, and you 
will have very early and most excellent greens ; 
and when you have done with the greens, the Tur- 
nips are very good to eat." 

If the seed of the Russia Turnip be sown either 
broadcast, or in drills early in July, they will make 
fine roots by autumn without transplanting, pro- 
vided the ground be good and well worked. When 
the plants are up strong they must be hoed and 
thinned to the distance of 12 or 15 inches from 
each other, another hoeing will be necessary in 5 
or 6 weeks afterwards. This will make them grow 
freely. 



HOP. HouBLON. Humulus lupulus. 

Although the Hop is not a culinary vegetable, a^ 
it is more or less used in every part of our country, it 
may not be amiss to treat of its culture. It is presum- 
ed, that in proportion as habits of temperance arc 
inculcated, our citizens will have recourse to beer 
as a wholesome beverage ; and as a great deal de- 
pends on the manner in which Hops are cured, I 
purpose giving directions for their management 
throughout ; so as to enable those who choose, to 
prepare their own. My information is collected 
chiefly from Loudon's Encyclopoedia of plants. 



HOP. 



The Hop has been cultivated in Europe an un- 
known length of tune for its flowers, which are us- 
ed for preserving beer. Its culture was introduced 
from Flanders ni tlie reign of Henry the Eighth ; 
though indigenous both in Scotland and Ireland it 
is little cultivated in those countries, owing to the 
humidity of their autumnal season. Like other 
plants of this sort, the Hop bears its flowers on dif- 
ferent individuals ; the female plants, therefore, 
are alone cultivated. There are several varieties 
"•rown in Kent and Surrey, under the name of 
Flemish, Canterbury, Goldings &c. ; the first is the 
most hardy, differing little from the wild or Hedge 
Hop ; the Goldings is a very improved highly pro- 
ductive variety, but more subject to the blight than 
the other. The Hop prefers a deep loamy soil on 
a dry bottom ; a sheltered situation, but at the 
same time not so confined as to prevent a free circu- 
lation of air. The soil requires to be well pulver- 
ized and manured previous to planting. In Hop 
districts, the ground is generally trenched either 
with a plough or spade. The mode of planting is 
generally in rows six feet apart, and the same dis- 
tance in the row. Five, six or seven plants are 
generally placed together in a circular form and at 
a distance of five or six feet from each other. The 
plants or cuttings are procured from the most heal- 
thy of the old stools ; each should have two joints 
or buds ; from the one which is placed in the ground 
springs the root, and from the other the stalk. 
Some plant the cuttings at once where they are to 
remain, and by others they are nursed a year in a 
garden. An interval crop of Beans or Cabbages is 
generally taken the first year. Sometimes no poles 
are placed at the plants till the second year, and 
then only short ones of six or seven feet. The 
third year the Hop generally comes into full bear- 



HOP. 75 

ing, and then from four to six poles from fourteen ■ 
to sixteen feet in length are placed to each hill. 
The most durable timber for poles is that of the 
Spanish Chesnut, which is much grown in Kent as 
coppice wood for that purpose. The after culture 
of the Hop consists in stirring the soil and keeping 
it free from weeds ; in guiding the shoots to the 
poles, and sometimes tying them for that purpose 
with bass or withered rushes ; in eradicating any 
superfluous shoots which may arise from the root, 
and in raising a small heap of earth over the root 
to nourish the plant. Hops are known to be ready 
for gathering when the chaffy capsules acquire 
a brow^n colour, and a firm consistence. Each 
chaffy capsule or leafed calyx contains one seed. 
Before these are picked, the poles with the attach- 
ed stalks are pulled up, and placed horizontally on 
frames of wood two or three poles at a time. The 
Hops are then picked off by women and children. 
After being carefully separated from the leaves and 
stalks, they are dropped into a large cloth hung all 
round within the frame on tenter hooks. When 
the cloth is full, the Hops are emptied into a large 
sack, which is carried home, and the Hops laid on 
a kiln to be dried. This is always done as soon as 
possible after they are picked, or they are apt to 
sustain considerai3le damage, both in colour and 
flavour, if allowed to remain long in the green state 
in which they are picked. In very warm weather^ 
and when they are picked in a moist state, they 
will often heat in five or six hours ; for this reason 
the kilns are kept constantly at work, both night 
and day, from the commencement to the conclu- 
sion of the Hop-picking season. The operation of 
drying hops is not materially different from that of 
drying malt, and the kilns are of the same con- 
struction. The Hops are spread on a hcidr clothe 



70 HOP. 

from eight to twelve inches deep, according as the 
season is dry or wet, and the Hops ripe or immature. 
When the ends of the Hop siaiks become quite 
shrivelled and dry, they are taken off the kiln and 
laid on a boarded floor till they become quite cool, 
when they are put into bags. 

The baggmg of Hops is thus performed : in the 
floor of tlie room where Hops are laid to cool, there 
is a round hole or trap equal in size to the mouth of 
a Hop bag. After tying a handiul of Hops in each 
of the lower corners of a large bag, which serve 
after for handles, the mouth of the bag is fixed se- 
curely to a strong hoop, which is made to rest on 
the hedges of the hole or trap; and the bag itself 
being then dropped through the hole, the packers 
go into it, when a person who attends for the pur- 
pose, puts in the Hops in small quantities, in order 
to give the packer an opportunity of packing and 
trampling them as hard as possible. When the bag 
is filled, and the Hops trampled in so liard as that it 
will hold no more, it is drawn up, unloosed from the 
hoop, and the end sewed up, other two handles 
having been previously formed in the corners in 
the manner mentioned above. The brightest and 
finest coloured Hops are put into pockets or fine bag- 
ging, and the brown into course or heavy bagging 
The former are chiefly used for brewing fine ale, 
and the latter by the porter brewers. But when 
Hops are intended to be kept two or three years, 
they are put into bags of strong cloth and firmly 
pressed so as to exclude the air. 

The stripping and stacking of the poles succeeds 
to the operation of picking. The shoots or bind 
being stripped off", such poles as are not decayed 
are set up together in a conical pile of three or four 
hundred, the centre of which is formed by three 



HOP. 77 

Jitout poles bound together a few feet from their tops, 
and their lower endssprea . out. 

The produce of no crop is so liable to variation 
as that of the Hop ; in a good season an acre will 
produce 20 cwi. but fronj 10 to 12 cwt, is consider- 
ed a tolerable average crop. The quality of Hops 
is estimated by the abundance or scarcity of an 
unctious clammy powder which, adheres to them, 
and by their bright yellow colour. The expenses 
of forming a Hop plantation are considerable ; but 
once in bearing, it will continue ^o for ten or fif- 
teen years before it it requires to be renewed. The 
Hop is peculiarly liable to diseases; when young 
it is devoured by fleas of diflierent kinds, at a more 
advanced stage it is attacked by the green fly, red 
spider, and ottermoth, the larvee of which prey 
even upon its roots. The honey dew often materi- 
ally injures the Hop crop ; and the mould, the fire- 
blast, and other blights injure it at different times 
towards the latter period of the growth of the 
plants. 

The young shoots of both wild and cultivated 
Hops are cons^idered by some as very wholesome, 
and are frequently gathered early in the Spring, 
boiled, and eaten as asparagus. The stalk and 
leaves will dye wool yellow. From the stalk a 
strong cloth is made in Sweden, the mode of pre- 
paring which is described by Linnaeus in his Flora 
Suecica. A decoction of the roots is said to be as 
good a sudorific as Sarsaparilla ; and the smell of 
the flowers is soporific. A pillow filled with Hop 
flowers will induce sleep, unattended with the bad 
eflfects of soporifics which require to be taken inter- 
nally. 



78 HORSE-RADISH AND SWEET HERBS. 

HORSE-RADISH. Raifort. C ocJilearia Armo- 
racia. 

This plant is propagated by cuttings from the 
root, eitliercut from the top an inch or two long, or 
some old roots cut into pieces of that length, or by 
offsets that arise from the sides of the main root, re- 
taining the crowns or top shoots m as many parts 
as possible. These should be planted as early in 
the spring as practicable, in rows two feet apart, and 
sixoreigwt niches from each other in the rows. 
The ground should be well manured and dug two 
spades deep, and the cuttings should be sunk full 
ten inches \\\ih the crowns upright ; this being done, 
level the snrtace of the ground, and afterwards keep 
it free from A^eeds until the plants are full grown. 
With this *!i.'nagement the roots will be long and 
straight, and the second year after the planting will 
be fit for use. They may be taken up the first year, 
but then the roots will be slender, therefore it is the 
better way to let them remain till the second. If 
in taking up ; he roots some oflsets be left in the 
ground, they will produce a successive supply for 
many years. 



AROMATIC, POT, AND SWEET HERBS. 

Graines (Therbes d Vusage de lacuisne ou oderiferantes. 

Anise, Pimpinella anisum. 

Basil Sweet, Ocymuni basilicum. 
Bush Basil, do. minimum. 

Borage, Borago officinalis. 

Caraway, Carum carni. 

Clary, Salvia sclara. 

Coriander, Coriandrum sativum. 

Dill, Anethum graveolens. 
^Fennel, Common, do, foeniculum. 

^ do. Sweet, do. duke. 



AROMATIC, POT, AND SWEET HERBS. 7f» 

Maiigolcl, Pot, Calendula officinalis. 

* Marjoram Sweet, Origanum marjorana> 
*Mint, Spear, Mentha virides. 

* do. Pepper, piperita. 

* do. Pennyroyal, pulegium. 
*Sage, Common, Salvia officinalis. 
Savory, Summer, Satureja hortensis. 

* do. Winter, montana. 
Smallage, Apium graveolens. 

* Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, 
^ Thyme, Common, Thymus vidgaris. 

^ do. Lemon, serpyllum. 

Aromatic Herbs are such as impart a strong spi- 
cy odour and savoury taste ; many of them are 
used as small pot lierbs, and for sauces, stuffings, 
and other uses in cookmg. As only a small quan- 
tity of these are necessary in private gardens, a bye 
corner may be allotted for them, and such medical 
herbs as may be vv'anted in a family. 

It may be necessary for me to explain, as we go 
along, that there are three principal descriptive 
names given to plants, namely, Annuals, Biennials, 
and Perennials. The annuals being but of one sea- 
son's duration, are raised every year from seed. 
The biennial kinds are raised from seed one 5^ear, 
continue till the second, and soon after die ; some of 
these should be also raised every year from seed. 
The perennials may be also raised from seed, but 
\vhen once- raised, they will continue on the same 
roots many years. Those marked * are of the lat- 
ter description, and may be propagated by suckers, 
offsets, cuttings or partings of the roots. 

Those w^ho have not already a plantation of these 

herbs, may sow seeds of any of the different kinds 

in March or April, in drills about an inch deep and 

tw^elve inches apart, each kind by itself. The plants 

8 



80 



MEDICINAL HERBS. 



may be afterwards transplanted into separate beds : 
or, if a drill for each kind be drawn two feet apart, 
the seed may be sown in them, and the plants after- 
wards thinned out to proper distances according to 
the natural growth of the different kinds of plants. 



PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR MEDICINAL 
PURPOSES, &c. 



Boneset or Thorough wor 

*Balm, 

Bean, Castor Oil, 

Burdock, 

Catnep, 

Celandine, 

* Chamomile, 
*Comfrey, 
^Elecampane, 
Feverfew, 
*Hore hound, 
*Hor3emint, 

* Hyssop, 

* Lavender, 
Lovage or Smellage, 
*Mallow, Marsh, 
*Pink root, Carolina, 
Poppy Opium, (annual,) 

* Rosemary, 
*Rue, Garden, 
*Scullcap or Mad Dog 

Plant, 
*Snake root, Virginian, 
^Southernwood, 
^Speedwell, Virginian, 
^Spikenard, 
*Tansey, 

* Wormwood, 



t Eupatorium perfoliatwn. 
JMel'issa officinalis. 
Ricinus communis. 
Arctium lappa. 
JVepeta cataria. 
Chelidonum majus. 
Jlnthemis nobilis. 
Symphytum officinale. 
Inula Helenium. 
Matricaria Parthenium . 
Marubium vulgare. 
Monarda punctata. 
Hysopus officinalis. 
Lavendula spica. 
Ligusticum, levisticum. 
Althea officinalis. 
Spigelia Marilandica. 
Papaver somniferum. 
Rosmarinus officinalis. 
Ruta graveolens. 

Scutellaria Lateriftora. 
Aristolochia serpentaria. 
Artemisia abrotanum. 
Veronica Virginica. 
Aralia racemosa. 
Tanacetum vulgare. 
Artemisia absinthium. 



MEDICINAL HERBS. 81 

The generality of Aromatic, Sweet, and Medici- 
nal Herbs, may be raised from seeds sown in March 
and April. The greater part of the above describ- 
ed plants are perennial, and will multiply from 
seeds they drop, or from partings of the roots. The 
offsets, roots, or young plants thus raised, should be 
planted at suitable distances from each other early 
in the spring. The beds should be afterwards kept 
free from weeds, and as the herbs come into flower, 
they should be cut on a dry day, and spread in a 
shady place to dry for winter use. [The best way to 
preserve them after they are dried, is to rub them so 
so as to pass them through asieve,then packthemin 
bottles or boxes, each kind by itself; they should be 
afterwards kept in a dry place.] In the month of 
October, the beds should be examined. Lavender, 
Rosemary, and other tender herbs should be taken 
up, potted and placed in a frame or green house for 
the winter. Thyme, Hyssop, Winter Savory, 
Southernwood, Sage, Rue, and the like, will require 
their tops to be neatly dressed ; and Pot Marjoram, 
Burnet, Tarragon, Tansey, Pennyroyal, Sorrel, 
Chamomile, Fennel, Horehound, Mint, Lovage, 
and other kinds of hardy perennial herbs, should 
be cut down close to the ground. After this, it will 
be proper to dig Hghtly and loosen the ground be- 
tween the roots of the shrubby plants ; but the beds 
of close-growing running plants, such as Mint, 
Running Thyme and all other creeping herbs, will 
not well admit of digging ; therefore, after the 
stalks are cut down, and the beds cleared of weeds, 
dig the alleys and strew some of the loose earth 
evenly over the beds ; and if the ground be rather 
poor or light, a top dressing of very rotten dung will 
be of considerable service. 

This dressing will give proper nurture and pro- 
tection to the roots of the plants, a neat appearance 



S2 PLAN OF BEDS, &C. 

to the whole, and in spring the shoots will rise with 
renewed vigour. 

Having finished the catalogue, I proceed to give 
directions for making the most of a piece of ground 
well manured for early crops. In the general di- 
rections at the commencement, I observed that good 
rich manure was indispensably uecessary to the 
production of some particular kinds of vegetables ; 
it may be further observed, that rich ground will 
produce two or three valuable crops, but it requires 
some attention to make use of it to the best advan- 
tage. If the gardener have leisure to dig his ground 
in March or April, that he intends for Beans, Cu- 
cumbers, Tomatoes, Egg Plants, or other tender 
plants, he may raise Radishes, Spinach, Lettuce, or 
other Salads on it, by leaving a space for his hills 
or drills ; or radish seed may be sown lightly over 
beds of Beets, Carrots or Parsnips, but they must 
not be suflfered to run to seed, as this would injure 
the other plants. When the first crops are gather- 
ed, it requires a little consideration before a second 
is planted, in order that a sufficient quantity of the 
best of the ground be reserved for the most particu- 
lar and valuable kinds of vegetables. That I may 
be understood, I have adopted the following plans, 
representing beds of earth, this will answer the same 
purpose as bringing my readers on the ground : 

No. 1. The following lines represent drills six 
inches apart : 

March 25. — Sow Parsley, or other small herbs. 

Do. Radish Seed. 
Do. Parsley, or other small herbs. 



PLAN OF BEDS, &C. 83 

The Radishes being pulled early in May, leaves 
the intermediate ground for the other plants. 



No. 2. Drills 10 or 12 inches apart : 
April 1. — Sow Spinach or Radish Seed. 

24 — Plant early Cabbage Plants. 

1. — Sow Spinach or Radish Seeds. 

By the time the Cabbage requires the whole of 
the ground, the Spinach or Radishes may be gath- 
ered. 

If this bed be cleared of the second crop by the 
middle of July, it may be planted with Celery, 
Turnips, or Black Radishes. If the Cabbages be 
of the late kinds, the ground may be reserved for 
the first sowing of Spinach, Fetticus, Lettuce, &c. 
in which case it will require a fresh coat of ma- 
nure. 

No. 3. Rows or drills 14 inches apart : 
March 20. — Plant Hardy Lettuce Plants. 
Do. Hardv Lettuce Plants. 



OU; 



Hoe them the first week in April — pre\.^.,. 
to hoeing the second time, draw a drill between 
each row of plants, and plant beet or carrot seed ; 
8* 



84 PLAN OF BEDS, &C. 

this may be covered up in hoeing the Lettuce, and 
by the time the plants are up strong, the Lettuce 
will be fit to cut. 

If these roots are well attended to, they may be 
cleared off soon enough to p^^oduce fall Cabbage. 
Leeks, Celery, Turnips, Black Radishes, &c. 



No. 4. Rows or drills 16 inches apart : 
March 25. — Plant Hardy Lettuce Plrsnts. 

Do. Hardy Lettuce Phmts. 

April 20.— Plant early York Cabbage Plants, 
either between the rows or between the Lettuce. 



As soon as the Lettuce is otf, hoe the Cabbage 
and it will soon cover the ground. 

This ground will be suitable lor a crop of any of 
the kinds above mentioned, except Cabbage, the 
roots of which are apt to get defective, if the same 
ground be planted with Cabbage twice in succes- 



sion. 



The above, or preceding plans, present a fair spe- 
cimen of what may be done on a small piece of good 
ground. If the young gardener will take the trou- 
ble to keep an account of his transactions, he would 
soon make discoveries of still greater importance. 
If he be not sufficiently acquainted with the differ- 
ent kinds of Cabbage Plants, for instance, so as to 
distinguish one from the other, he, by making a 
memorandum at the time of sowing the seed, would 
soon get acquainted with the different kinds of 
plants ; he would also discover the difference in the 
growing of his seeds, and know who to blame if any 
particular kind should not come up. 



HOT BED3- 



85 



The following represents a hot bed with four sash- 
es, sown March 1st. 



Thorburn's Smith's Early 


Russell's 


Bridgeman's 






Tomato and 


Early York Battersea Cab- 


Early 


Egg-Plant 








seeds in shal- 


Cabbage seed. 


bage seed. 


Lettuce seed. 


low drills. 



It may be necessary to remind my readers of the 
necessity of being- ahvays prepared to sow Cab- 
bage, Egg-Plant, Lettuce, and Tomato seeds in 
hot beds the last week in February or early in 
March ; for this purpose, let some fresh stable dung 
and rich compost be engaged beforehand. Some 
gardeners make their beds on the level ground, but 
it is always safest to make a pit from eighteen 
inches to two feet deep ; in order to do this, a heap 
of dung should be deposited on the ground intend- 
ed for the beds before the frost sets in ; by this 
means the ground will be preserved from frost, and 
good earth may be obtained from the pits without 
any difficulty. 

The fresh dung should be spread regularly in the 
pits to the depth of twenty to twenty four inches ; 
as soon as the dung begins to heat, cover it vvith 
six or eight inches deep of mould ; then lay on the 
sashes, and protect the beds from the inclemency 
of the weather. In two or three days the rank 
iiteam may pass off ; it will then be necessary to stir 



86 FORCING VEGATABLES. 

the mould before the seeds be sown, to prevent the 
growth of young weeds that may be germinating-; 
then sow the seeds as equally as posible, reserving 
a small quantity of the warm mould to be sown or 
sifted over the seeds. The beds should be after- 
wards attended to as directed for BroccoU and Cau- 
liflower. This description of a hot bed is intended 
expressly for the raising of spring Cabbage, Let- 
tuce, Tomatoes, and such other plants as may be 
required for early planting. Beds made earlier in 
the season, or for forcing, will require a greater 
substance of manure. 



OBSERVATIONS ON FORCING VEGETA- 
BLES. 

Before I commenced preparing this edition for the 
press, I intended to have written largely on the sub- 
ject of forcing fruits, as well as vegetables ; but 
when I considered my motto, and that I was writ- 
ing for young gardeners, I concluded to occupy my 
pages in such a manner as to effect the greatest 
possible good, at the smallest expense. 0/ the se- 
veral branches of Horticulture, some are of greater 
• importance than others ; and as the products of the 
kitchen garden form important articles of food for 
the bulk of mankind, it should be our first care to 
treat largely on the subject of this most useful part 
of gardening. Next to this, is the cultivation of 
fruits, and the production of ornamental plants and 
flowers, each of which will be noticed as we pro- 
ceed. As I stand pledged to offer some remarks on 
forcing, or rather forwarding vegetables by artificial 
means, I shall endeavor to confine my observations 
to such points as are of primary importance ; and 



FORCING VEGETABLES. 67 

ill order to convince my readers of the importance 
of my subject, I shall first endeavor to show the 
utihty of an aitifigial climate suited to the various 
kinds of useful plants. In England, a regular suc- 
cession of vegetables can be obtained from the na- 
tural ground in every month of the year, and their 
fruits, from the summer heat being moderate, are of 
longer continuance than with us, and yet they make 
gardening a science, and employ the elements, as 
well as the ingenuity of man, to the production of 
fruits and vegetables out of the ordinary season. 

I shall not attempt to treat of the cuhivation of 
Pine-Apples, Grapes, Cherries, or other fruits growa 
in forcing houses, nor would it be advisable with, 
us to undertake to raise Cucumbers, Melons, &c. iii 
frames throughout our severe winters ; but it must 
be acknowledged, that the extreme heat of our 
summers are as detrimental to the cultivation of 
some of the most valuable kinds of fruits and vege- 
tables, as the coldness of our winters, and for those 
reasons, artificial aid is more necessary here in the 
winter and spring of the year than in England. The 
inhabitants of that country may obtain a supply of 
the different varieties of Artichokes, Bioad Beans, 
Borecole, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Lettuce, Ra- 
dishes, Rhubarb, Spinach, Turnips, and Salads in 
general a great part of the year, and Cabbages, 
Coleworts, &c. the wliole of the year, from their 
kitchen gardens, whereas, if we were to attempt to 
supply our markets with culinary vegetables at all 
times, in any thing like the abundance that they 
have them there, we must turn our attention to the 
protecting and forwarding, as well as the forcing 
system. 

Before I proceed to show the method of forcing 
vegetables, it may be necessary for me to remind 
my readers, that in providing an artificial climate. 



S8 FORCING VEGETABLES. 

they should consider the nature of the plants they 
intend to cultivate, and endeavour to supply them 
with that which is best calculated to nourish and 
support them. I have, in another part of this work, 
endeavoured to show, that heat, light, air, and 
moisture, are each essential to vegetation, and that 
these should be supplied in a judicious manner, ac- 
cording to circumstances. 

In the midst of our winters, which is the usual 
time for forcing in England, we are subject to 
north-west winds, which produce extreme freezing. 
Now, as we have not yet discovered how to make 
an artificial air, it will not be safe for the gardener 
to raise a bottom heat under any kind of vegetable, 
until such time as he can impart a tolerable share of 
salubrious air, as the heat without air will soon de- 
stroy the fruits of his labour. Perhaps the safest 
time to commence forcing in frames, is soon after 
the middle of Februarj^, and the early part of March. 
I before hinted, that the depth of heating materials 
must be regulated by the season of the year at 
which the work is commenced, and also to the pur- 
poses for which the hot beds are intended. Bed?? 
made for the purpose of raising half-hardy plants, 
or for procuring seedling plants late in the spring, 
may be made in the manner recommended for the 
common hot bed ; but if substantial heat is required 
to be kept up, the beds must be so contrived as to 
admit of linings as the heat decreases ; and the 
dung should undergo a regular process of prepara- 
tion, according to the use it is intended for. Com- 
post heaps should also be provided, in order to fur- 
nish suitable mould to the different kinds of plants; 
for this purpose, all the old hot bed dung and mouldy 
leaves, tan, turf, sand and other light manures and 
decayed animal dung, should be collected together. 



FORCING VEGETABLES. 89 

111 some cases when a slight hot bed is recom- 
mended for forwarding hardy plants, if it should 
happen that a seedling cucumber bed be at liber- 
ty, it may answer every purpose for Radishes, Let- 
tuce, or 01 her hardy plants ; or such a bed may be 
spawned for Mushrooms if required. 

If the forcing be commenced before the coldest 
of the winter is past, great precaution must be us- 
ed lest the plants should be injured by cold cutting 
winds, or destroyed by heat for want of air. To 
prevent the former accident, warm dung should be 
placed arround the frames, and the sashes should be 
covered with mats and boards every night. If full 
ai" cannot be admitted in the day time, the sashes 
must be slidden down to let off the steam, at the 
same time the mats may be laid over the aperture, 
to prevent the cold air entering to the plants. 

If the bottom heat in a bed be too violent which 
is sometimes the case, means must be used to de- 
crease it. This is generally effected by making holes 
in the bed with a stake sharjjened at the end, or 
with a crow-bar; which holes should be filled up 
when the heat is sufficiently reduced. In lining 
hot beds if the heat is reduced in the body of the 
beds, holes may be carefully made to admit heat 
from the fresh linings, so as to enliven the heat of 
the bed. 

A Fahrenheit Thermometer should be always at 
hand, at the time of forcing, to be used when ne- 
cessary, to regulate the heat in the beds ; and the 
water that is used in cultivating plants in frames, 
should be warmed to the temperature of the air, or 
according to the heat required for the various kinds 
of plants, which will be shown in the different arti- 
cles, as we proceed. 



90 FORCING VEGETABLES. 

FORCING ASPARAGUS IN HOT BEDS. 

As Asparagus is apt to grow wean: and slender 
by extreme bottom neat, it is forced with greater 
success, and with less trouble in flued pits, in ja hot 
house than in dung hot beds, because tlie heat from^ 
tan is more regular; but a very suitaule bed may 
be formed in a deep hot bed frame, made in the 
usual way. If dung alone or a mixture ot dung and 
leaves be used, it should be in a state past heating 
violently before it is made into a bed ; but if the 
gardener has no choice of materials, he may make 
Jiis hot bed in the usual way, and n the depth of 
heating materials be two feet, he may lay on a foot 
of old hot bed dung, tan or any light compost, that 
will admit of the heat passing through it. It may 
be necessary to state furthei, ihattliough too much 
bottom heat should be avoided ; heat is necessary 
to the production of the vegetable in a moderate 
time, vvhicli is generally effected in a month or six- 
weeks aftei the commencement of the operations. 
For the purpose of keeping up a regular heat, a lin- 
ing of hoi dung should be applied around the frame, 
and changed as occasion requires. Provide plants 
from two to four, or even six years old, trim their 
roots, and place them in rows on the beds; when 
one row is laid, strew a little mould among the roots, 
then proceed in the same way with one row after 
another, keeping them on a level, as the surface of 
the bed at first lay, till you have finished planting 
them ; then lay among the buds and roots some fine 
vegetable, or other rich mould, working it in 
amongst them with your fingers, and cover the beds 
over about one inch thick, and above that lay three 
inches in depth of vegetable mould not very rotten, 
old tan, or any other light compost tliat will admit the 
water to run quickly through. If there be a strong 
heat in the bed, shde down the sashes till it begins 



FORCING VEGETABLES. 91 

10 decline. The temperature at night should never 
be under 50, and it may rise to 65 without injury ; 
as the buds begin to appear, as much air must be 
daily admitted as the weather will permit. In two 
or three days after the beds are planted, the heat 
will begin to rise; the beds should then have a mod- 
erate supply of water applied from a watering pot, 
with the rose on, repeat such waterings every three 
or four days. By the time the buds have come up 
three inches above the surface, they are fit to gath- 
er for use, as they will then be six or seven inches 
in length. In gathering them, draw aside a little 
of the mould, slip down the finger and thumb, twist 
them off from the crown ; this is a better method 
than to cut them ; at least it is less dangerous to the 
rising buds, which come up thick in succession. — 
An ordinary sized frame calculated for three sashes 
will hold from three hundred to five hundred plants 
according to the age and size, and will if properly 
managed yield a dish every day for about three 
weeks. On the above estimate if a constant suc- 
cession of Asparagus be required, it will be necessa- 
ry to plant a bed every eighteen or twenty days. 

Rhubarb and Sea Kale, may be, and sometimes 
are forced in the same manner as Asparagus; but 
the most general mode is to excite them whoe they 
stand in the open garden, by the application of warm 
dung, as directed in the articles page 60 and 65. 
Or roots of Rhubarb may be taken up in autumn 
and packed in sand deposited in a warm cellar ; 
and they will produce stalks fit for use in the spring, 
and if packed in boxes placed in a moderate hot bed 
in March, they will yield abundantly. 



92 FORWARDING AND FORCING VEGETABLES. 
FORWARDING BROAD BEANS, OR (ENGLISH DWARFS.) 

In the article, broad Bean, vicia faba, page 20, 
I have urged the necessity of early planting, in or- 
der that a full crop may be insured before the ap- 
proach of warm weather ; but as the ground is of- 
ten frozen at ihe time that they ought to be plan- 
ted, some of the best kinds may be planted in boxes 
and placed in a moderate hot bed in February, or 
early in March; If the plants thus raised be not 
nursed loo lender, they may be transplanted into 
the open ground the latter end of March ; this will 
enable them to produce their fruit early in June. 
Or if a heap of manure be spread thick on a piece 
of ground late in the autunui, it will keep the earth 
from freezing, and if this manuie be removed in 
February, and a frame placed over and protected 
from extreme cold, the seedhngs may be raised 
therein ; and transplanted as beiore directed. 



FORCING KIDNEY BEANS. 

The most dwarfish kinds of Kidney Beans may 
be raised m hot beds ; but they require a substan- 
tial heat to mature them. The temperature with- 
in the frame should be kept up to 60, and may 
rise to 70 or 75°, provided the steam is let off. 
In order to insure sufficient heat to bring them 
into a bearing state, the plants may be first rais- 
ed in small pots plunged into a hot bed, or, a 
small bed may be prepared earthed over with 
light rich compost six inches deep ; and the 
beans planted therein and covered one inch. The 
second hot bed should be earthed over to the 
depth of eight or nine inches ; and the beans trans- 
planted as soon as they are two or three inches 



FORWARDING VEGETABLES. 93 

high, in cross rows twelve or fifteen inches apart b}"^ 
three or four inches in the rows, or in clumps a 
foot apart. When the season is so far advanced 
that one bed with the help of hnings will bring the 
plants well into fruit, the seed may be planted at 
once to remain for podding ; or if the gardener 
should choose to mature his crop in the open ground 
he may raise his plants in boxes or pots in the month 
of April, and plant them out in a warm border early 
in May. Beans raised in hot beds, will require 
considerable attention ; — cover the glasses every 
night with mats and boards ; admit fresh air every 
mild da}^, give occasional gentle waterings, and 
earth them up carefully as they progress in growth, 
to strenghteu them. 



FORWARDING BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER. 

In treating of the method of cultivating this fami- 
ly of plants, in the articles, page 26 and 29, I re- 
commended that an artificial climate be provided 
for them, so as to induce them to arrive at full per- 
fection in the winter and early part of the spring. 
Such gardeners as may have provided frames for 
the purpose of making hot beds in the spring, may 
make use of them through the winter, in protect- 
ing Broccoli and Cauliflower ; and as the frames 
will not be wanted until the severity of the winter 
is past, such plants as may be left at that season, 
may be protected by a covering of boards, straw, or 
litter, as occasion may require. 

If Cauliflower be required early in the suirlmer, 
the plants raised in the preceding autumn should 
be transplanted from the beds into the open ground 
in the month of March, and be protected by hand 



94 FORCING VEGETABLES- 

glasses. This would insure their heading before 
the approach of extreme loarm weather, which is very 
injurious to Cauliflower, 



FORCING AND FORWARDING CUCUMBERS. 

To produce Cucumbers at an early season, should 
be an object of emulation with every gardener. 
The business of forcing, them should commence 
about eight or ten weeks before the fruit is desired, 
and a succession of plants should be raised to pro- 
vide for accidents. Some choose the short prickly. 
Others, the green cluster and southgate ; and seed 
that is two or three years old, is generally preferred, 
as it is not so apt to run to vines. The seed is ge- 
nerally sown in pots or boxes of light rich mould, 
and placed in a hot bed ; and some sow the seeds 
in the earth of a small bed prepared for the purpose. 
In either case, as soon as the pin nts have fully ex- 
panded their two seed leaves, they may be trans- 
planted into pots ; put three plants in each pot ; 
when this is done, apply water warmed to the heat 
of the bed, and shut down the glasses, keeping them 
a little shaded by throwing a mat over the glass, 
till the plants have taken root. When they are 
about a month old, they will be fit to transplant in- 
to the fruiting bed. 

Well preparing the dung, is of the greatest im- 
portance in forcing the Cucumber, and if not done 
before it is made into a bed, it cannot be done after, 
as it requires turning and managing to cause it to 
ferment freely and sweetly. Fresh dung from the 
stable should be laid into a heap, turned three times, 
and well mixed with a fork ; if any appears dry, it 
should be made wet, always keeping it between the 



FORCING VEGETABLES. 95 

two extreiTies of wet and dry, that the whole may 
have a regular fermentatioa. A dry situation should 
be chosen for the bsds to be formed on, so that no 
water can settle under the dung. The substance 
of dung from tlie bottom of the bed should be from 
three to four feet, according to the season of plant- 
ing, and the moulding should be done as soon as 
the bed is settled, and has a hvely regular tempered 
heat. Lay the earth evenly over the dung, about 
six inches deep ; after it has lain a few days, exa- 
mine it, and if no traces of a burning effect are dis- 
covered, by the mould turning of a whitish colour, 
and caking, it will be fit to receive the plants ; but 
if the earth appears burnt, or of a rank smell, some 
fresh sweet mould should be provided for the hills, 
and placed in the frame to get warm, at the same 
time, vacancies should be made to give vent to the 
steam, by running down stakes. After the situa- 
tion of the bed has been ascertained, and the heat 
regulated, the holes should be closed, and the earth 
formed into hills; raise one hill in the centre under 
each sash, so that the earth is brought to within 
nine inches of the glass , in these hills, plant three 
seedlings, or turn out such as may be in pots, with 
the balls of earth about their roots, and thus msert 
one patch of three plants in the middle of each hill. 
The plants should be immedftitely watered with 
water heated to the air of the bed, and kept shaded 
till they have taken root. 

The temperature should be kept up to 60^, and 
may rise to 80® without injury, providing the rank 
steam be allowed to pass off; therefore, as the heat 
begins to decline, timely linings of well prepared 
dung must be applied all round the frame ; begin by 
lining the back part first; cut away the old dung 
perpendicularly by the frame, and form a bank two 
feet broad, to the height of a foot, against the back 
9* 



06 FORCING VEGETABLES. 

of the frames ; as it sinks, add more ; renew tlie 
lining's around the remainder of the bed as it be- 
comes necessary, and be careful to let off the steam 
and give air to the plants at all opportunities. Give 
necessary vi^aterings, mostly in the morning of a mild 
day, in early forcing ; iind in the afternoon in the 
advanced season of hot sumiy weather. Some use 
water impregnated with slieep or pigeons' dung. As 
the roots begin to spread, and the vines to run, the 
hills should be enlarged, by gathering up the earth 
around them, and a supply of good mould should 
be furnished to gather up as required, for earthing 
around the plants. 

When the plants have made one or tw^o joints, 
stop them, after which the} generally put forth two 
shoots, each of which let run till they have made 
one or two clear joints, and then stop tiiem ; and 
afterwards continue throughout the season to stop 
them at every joint ; this will strengthen the 
plants, and promote their perfecting the fruit early. 

The following artificial operation is recommend- 
ed by Abercrombie, Phial, and other writers, as 
essential to the production of a full crop of cucum- 
bers under glass. In phmtsmore freely exposed to 
the open air, the impregnation is effected by nature. 
Those which some call false blossoms, are the male 
flowers, and are useful in this operation. 

" The Cucumber" Abercrombie observes, " bears 
male and female blossoms distinctly on the same 
plant. The latter only produce the fruit, which 
appears first in miniature, close under the base, even 
before the flower expands. There is never any in 
the males ; but these are pl.iced in the vicinity of 
the females, and are absolutely necessary, by the 
dispersion of their farina, to impregnate the female 
blossom ; the fruit of which will not otherwise 
swell to its full size, and the seeds will be abortive . 



FORWARDING VEGETABLES. ^ 

The early plants under glass, not having the full 
current of natural air, nor the assitance of bees and 
other winged insects to convey the farina, the arti- 
ficial aid of the cultivator is necessary to efiiect the 
impregnation. At the time of fructification, watch 
the plants daily ; and as soon as the female flower 
and ^ome male blossoms are fully expanded, pro- 
ceed to set the fruit the same day, or next morning 
at farthest. Take off a male blossom ; detaching 
it with part of the footstalk. Hold this between 
the finger and thumb; pull away the flower leaf 
close to the stamens and antherae or central part, 
which apply close to the stigma or bosom of the 
female flower, twirling it a little about, to discharge 
thereon some particles of the fertilizing pow- 
der. Proceed thus to set every fruit, as the flow- 
ers of both sorts open, while of a lively full ex- 
pansion ; and generally perform it in the early 
part of the day, using a fre^h male, if possible, 
for each impregnation, as the males are usually 
more abundant than the female blossoms. In 
consequence the young fruit will soon be ob- 
served to swell freely. Cucumbers attain the pro- 
per size for gathering in about fifteen, eighteen, or 
twenty days after the time of setting ; and often in 
succession for two or three months or more, in the 
same beds, by good culture." 



FORWARDING CUCUMBERS UNDER HAND GLASSES. 

If it be desired to have Cucumbers in the open 
garden at an early season, the plants may be rais- 
ed in pots as before directed, and planted in a 
warm border either in the earth, or in hot bed 
ridges. A hand glass should be provided for each 
hill, which should be kept close down every night. 



98 lOIlWARDING VEGETABLES. 

and in cool days, taking care to admit air when 
practicable. The plants may be hardened by de- 
grees by taking otfthe glass ni tiie iieat of the day, 
and as the weather gets warm they may be left to 
nature, 



FORWARDING MELONS UNDER HAND GLASSES. 

Although our citizens have an opportunity of 
procuring the Melon, without artificial aid, as 
their contniuance is short, it may not be amiss to 
remind the gardener that the directions above giv- 
en for maturing Cucumbers under glass will apply 
to melons, with very few exceptions ; care however 
must be taken that they be kept away from eacli 
other at the time of fruiting, as instances often occur 
of whole crops heing entirely ruined, by plants of 
the same genus being raised too near each other. 
Those who may wish to forward Melons may pre- 
pare a hot bed in March or April, to raise plants in ; 
the bed may be formed and the plants managed in 
precisely the same manner as is directed for cucum- 
bers. If the ridging system be ad')pted, and a hand 
glass applied to each hill, Melons may be obtained 
one month earlier than the usual time. Garden- 
ers raising Melons for the supply of city markets may 
gratify the public, by pursuing the forwarding, if not 
the forcing ss^stem. Ridges may be prepared in the 
following manner. In April or May, a trench may 
be dug in a warm border about two feet deep and- 
three wide, and ofiufficient length for as many hand 
glasses as are intended to be employed, allowing 
three feet for every hill. Some good heating ma- 
nure should be laid in the pits, managed the same 
as a common hot bed; to this must be added 



FORCING VEGETABLES. 99 

good rich mould to the depth of eight or ten inches 
for the plants to grow in ; as soor) as the mould is 
warm the seedlings may be planted three plants in 
each hill, after which the h;ind glasses should be 
set on and shaded. After the pitints have taken 
root and began to grow, the glasses should be rais- 
ed in fine days and propped up so as to admit fresh 
air, and as the warm weather progresses, they may 
be taken off in the middle of fine days, so as to har- 
den the plants gradually to the weather ; and by 
the latter end of May they may be left to nature. 

Melons or Cucumbers may be perpetuated from 
layers or cuttings of the early plants, if required. 



FORCING PEAS IN HOT BEDS. 

The best sort of Peas to force, are the most dwar- 
tish kinds, and the seed is better for being two or 
three years years old, as they will bear earlier and 
make less straw. The true early frame Pea, is 
generally preferred, but Bishop's new early Pea is 
very dwarfish and prolific, and therefore suitable for 
forcing. Peas become more prolific and run less to 
vine by being transplanted, than when they are 
sown where they are to remain ; the plants may be 
raised in a gentle hot bed, either in the earth of the 
bed, or in pots or boxes. Peas do not lequire ex- 
cessive heat ; the temperature must be progressive ; 
beginning at about 50° for the nursery bed, and 
from that to 60 or 65 for fruiting. When the leaves 
of the plants are fairly expanded they may be trans- 
planted in rows from twelve to eighteen inches 
apart ; observe ihe earth in the fruiting bed should 
be from twelve to eighteen inches in depth. As 
the Peas progress in growth the earth should be 



100 FORCING VEGETABLES. 

stirred, and when six inches high, small slicks may 
be applied so that the tendrils of the Peas may easi- 
ly take hold ; and they should be moulded at the 
bottom to enable them to support themselves. When 
they appear in blossom, mp ihe top off; this greatly 
promotes the forming and fiUing of the pods ; they 
will require to be regularly watered, and as the 
spring advances they may be exposed to the weath- 
er, taking care to shelter them in the event of a sud- 
den change. 



FORCING POTATOES IN HOT BEBS. 

Potatoes may be forced in a great variety of ways. 
Those who attempt to mature Potatoes in frames, 
will of course provide such of the earhest kinds as 
are not inclined to produce large tops, the Brough- 
ton dwarf, early mule, and the oak, and the ash 
leaved, are of this description. Potatoes may be 
forwarded in growth previous to their being planted 
in the beds by placing them in a warm damp cellar. 
Some forward them in pots or boxes, and after- 
wards mature tliem in a hot bed ; others plant them 
in the bed at once, in which case the bed should be 
jnoulded from fifteen to twenty inches deep, and 
the heating materials should be sufficient to keep 
up a moderate heat for two or three months. Per- 
haps the most convenient way to force Potatoes in 
this climate is to provide pots for the purpose ; plant 
one set in each pot inJanuaiy, set them in a warm 
cellar till a bed can be prepared in February, in this 
set in the pots. While the tuberous roots are form- 
ing and before they fill the pots, prepare the heds 
fni' maturing them, and then bury them in the 
mould with the balls of earth attached to them. 



FORWARDING VEGETABLES. 101 

The beds should be kept free from frost, and air 
should be given at evei \ opportunity. The com- 
mon round Potato may be forwarded, by laying 
them thick togeilier in a sligljt hot bed in March, 
and when they are planted ni the borders, a quan- 
tity of comb-makers' shavnjgs may be deposited in 
each hill, this will greatly promote then- growth. 
For forwarding Sweet Potatoes, see the article 
page 06. 



FORWARDING RADISHES, &C. 

Radishes may be obtained early in the spring by 
means of a moderate hot bed. The earth in the 
frame should be u foot in depth, and air should be 
admitted every day alter tliey are up, or they will 
inchne more to tops than roots. If they come up 
too thick, they should be thinned to between one 
and two inches apart. Give gentle waterings as 
occasion requires, and keep then) well covered in 
cold nights. For raising early Radishes on ground 
not accommodated wiili iranie^, a hot l<ed may be 
made and arched over with hoop bends or pliant 
rods, wliich siiould be covered with mats constantly 
at night, and during the day in very cold weather. 
In moderate days, turn up the mats at the warmest 
side ; and on a line mild day, take them wholly off, 
and harden them grnduiilly to the weather. Tur- 
nips, Carrots, Onions, or any kind oi Salads, or pot 
Herbs may be raised in the same way by sowing the 
seed in drills, and keeping the ground clear of 
weeds. 

The following simple method of forcing vegeta- 
bles on a small scale, is recommended by a corres- 
pondent of the London Magazine for June, 1828 : 



102 FORCING VEGETABLES. 

" Mushrooms in winter I obtain by a very sim- 
ple though not a new process. Provide boxes three 
feet long, and one foot eight inches deep ; a quan- 
tity of horse droppings, perfectly dry ; some spawn 
and some light dry soil. Fill the boxes by layers 
of droppings, sp iwn, and soil, which must be trod^ 
den perfectly riglit ; repeat these triple layers till 
the boxes are lull, and all trodden firmly together. 

"Four such boxes at work, ate sufiicient for a mo- 
derate demand ; and of a dozen, four brought on at 
a time, and pi teed upon the flue of a greenhouse 
stove, will produce a fine supply. The surface of 
these portable beds may be covered with a little 
hay, and occasionally, though sparingly, watered. 
It IS not ai)solutely necessary that they be set on 
the flue of a hot house : the kitchen cupboard, or any 
other snnilar place, will suit equally well. This 
plan IS also convenient for aflbrding a plentiful 
stock of superior spy wn. 

"The sn me sized boxes will also do for Asparagus; 
but for this purpose a sufiicient stock of three year 
old plants must be at hand ; also eighteen boxes, 
four of which are the necessary set to be forced at 
one time for a middling family. Half fill the boxes 
with decayed tanners' bark,leaf mould, or any other 
similar mouid ; on this, pack in the roofs as thickly 
as possible, and fill up the boxes with the bark, &c. 
Any place in a forcing house will suit them ; on 
the flue under the stage, or in short, any place 
where they can enjoy the necessary degree of heat. 
Besides Asparagus and Mushrooms, Sea Kale, Rhu- 
barb, Buda Kale, Angehca, Small Salad, as also 
other pot herbs, may be raised in the same man- 
ner." 

Those who have not the conveniences recom- 
mended in a greenhouse, &c., may place the boxes 
in a hot bed. The glasses being laid on and the 



MUSHROOMS. 103 

ijeds covered at nights, will soon promote the growth 
of the plaQts, and produce vegetable luxuries at a 
season when garden products in general are com- 
paratively scarce. 

It is unnecessary to show of how much value such 
processes may be in minor establishments, or in a 
young country. I wish it to be understood, that in 
order to the successful cultivation of some of the 
rare vegetables I have treated of, great pains must 
be taken in every stage of their growth. If the ad- 
vice I have given be attended to, I flatter myself we 
shall soon obtain a supply of many of these luxu- 
ries of the garden. My directions are founded on 
the success attending the practice of some of the 
best gardeners in this country. I have had also 
sufficient experience to warrant me in this attempt 
to contribute my mite towards the "attainment of 
this kind of useful knowledge." 



MUSHROOM. Champignon comestible. Jlga- 
ricus campestris. 

The Jlgarkus is said to be the most extensive 
genus in the vegetable kingdom. The species are 
determined upon various principles. As some of 
the kinds are poisonous, it is necessary to describe 
the eatable Mushroom. Loudon says, it is most 
readily distinguished when of a middle size, by its 
fine pink or flesh-coloured gills, and pleasant smell. 
In a more advanced stage, the gills become of a cho- 
colate colour, and it is then more apt to be con- 
founded with other kinds of a dubious quality ; but 
that species which most nearly resembles it, is slimy 
to the touch, and destitute of the fine odour, having 
rather a disagreeable smell. Again : the noxious 
10 



104 MUSHROOMS. 

kind grows in woods, or on the skirts of "woodyj 
while the true Mushroom springs up chiefly in open 
pastures, and should be gatiiered oiiiy in such 
places. Unwholesome fungi will sometmies spnng 
upon artificial beds in gardens; thus, when ihe 
spawn begins to run, a spurious breed are often 
found to precede a crop of genuine mushrooms. 
The baneful quality of the toad-stool, Jlgaricus viro- 
suSf is, in general, indicated by a sickly nauseous 
smell, though some hurtful sorts are so lar without 
any thing disagreeable in the smell, as to make any 
criterion, drawn from that aione, very unsafe. The 
wholesome kinds, however, invariably emit a grate- 
ful rich scent. The Jlgaricus campestris is most 
generally cultivated. Dr. Withering mentions 
other eatable varieties, which run considerably larg- 
er, but which are inferior m flavour ; he snys, " that 
a plant of the variety Georgia, was gathered in an 
old hotbed at Birmingham, which weighed fourteen 
pounds, and Mr. Stackhouse found one fifty-four 
inches in circumference, having a stem as thick as 
a man's wrist." Mushrooms may be obtained at 
any season of the year, by ci proper regulation of the 
time and manner of forming the beds. A good 
crop is sometimes collected wiihoiit making a bed 
on pmpose, by introducing lumps of spawn into the 
top mould in old hot beds. 

The methods of procuring and propagating spawn 
and of forminir Mushroom beds are numerous. In- 
digenous spawn may be collected (n pasture lands 
in September and October, or it may be foimd in its 
strength and purity in the paths of mills worked by 
horses, or in any other horse-walks under shelter ; 
it is frequently to be found in old hot beds and dung- 
hills, in the summer season, and mushrooms of 
good quality may often be seen beginning to form 
themselves on the surface, like large peas ; whe» 



MUSHROOMS. 105 

these are observed, it is time to take out the spawn, 
which is geneiufly in hard dry lumps of dung, 
the spawn having the appearance of whitish coarse 
pieces of thread The true sort has exactly the 
smell of a Mushroom. If spawn thus collected be 
required for immediate use, it may be planted in 
the beds at once, or it will keep three or foui years, 
if laid to dry with the earth adhering to it, and after- 
wards placed in a warm dry shed, where there is a 
current of air ; but if it be not completely dried, the 
spawn will exhaust itself or perish, as it will not bear 
the extremes of he t, cold, or moisture. 

Such of my readers as may have hitherto been 
unacquainted with the cultivation of the Mushroom, 
must perceive, from the preceding remarks, that a 
Mushroom bed is simply a heap of animal dung and 
earth, so tempered as to be capable of producing and 
preserving spawn ; but in order to have fruitful 
spawn at all times, it should be so formed as to be 
always at command. Tu this end, a quantity of 
fresh horse droppings mixed with short litter^ should 
|3e coUertpd ; add to this one third of cow dung, 
and a small portion of earth, to cement it together ; 
mash the whole into a thin compost, like grafting 
clay ; then form it in the shape of bricks, which 
being done, set them on edge, and frequently turn 
them until half dry ; then with a dibble make 
one or two holes in each brick, and insert in each 
hole a piece of spawn the size of an egg ; the 
bricks should then be laid where they can dry gra- 
dually. When dry, lay dry horse dung on a level 
floor, six or eight inches thick ; on this, pile the 
bricks the spawn side uppermost. When the pile 
is snugly formed, cover it with a small portion of 
warm fresh horse-dung, sufficient in quantity to 
diffuse a gentle glow throughout the whole. When 
the spawn has spread itself through every part of 



106 MUSHROOMS. 

the bricks, the process is ended, and they may be 
laid up into any dry place for use. Mushroom 
spawn, made according to this receipt, will preserve 
its vegetable powers for many years, if va ell dried 
before it is laid up : if moist, it will grow, and soon 
exhaust itself. 

Mushroom beds are often formed in ridges in the 
open air, covered with litter and mats, so as to pre- 
vent heavy rains exciting a fermentation; and 
sometimes in ridges of the same sort under cover, as 
in the open sheds of hot houses. They are also 
made in close sheds behind iiot houses, or in houses 
built on purpose, called Mushroom houses. A 
moderately warm light cellar is peculiarly suited for 
the purpose in the winter season, as no fire is neces- 
sary, and but httle water, the application of which 
so frequently proves injurious, when not judiciously 
managed. Mushrooms may be also raised in pots, 
boxes, hampers, &c., placed in warm situations ; in 
old hot beds, in pits with glass frames, and in dark 
frames or pits. 

The general way of making Mushroom beds, is 
to prepare a body of stable dung, moderately fer- 
mented, to the thickness of about a yard, more or 
less, according to the size and situation in which 
the bed is to be formed ; when the strong heat has 
subsided, an inch of good mould may he laid over, 
and the spawn planted therein in rows five or six 
inches apart ; after this is done, another layer of 
mould, an inch thick, may be applied, and then a 
coat of straw. Beds well constructed, will produce 
Mushrooms in five or six weeks, and will continue 
to produce for several months, if care be taken, in 
gathering, not to destroy the young ones. As Mush- 
rooms are gathered, from time to time, the straw 
should be spread carefully over the bed» 



MUSHROOMS. 107 

Beds made in a convenient place where there is 
space all around, may be formed so as to make four 
^lopmg surfaces, similar to the roof of a house ; this 
by being spawned on the four sides will yield abun- 
dantly. The celebrated Mr. Nieol makes his beds 
without spawn. The tollovving are his ■ iiections, 
taken from Loudon's Encyclopoedia oi gardening. 

"After having laid a floor of ashes, stone chips, 
gravel, or brick bats, so as to keep the bed quite dry, 
and free from under damp, lay a course ol horse- 
droppings six inches thick. These should be new 
from the stables and must not be broken, and the 
drier the better. They may be collected every day 
until the whole floor or sole be covered to the above 
thickness ; but they must not be allowed to ferment 
or heat. In the whole process of making up, the 
bed should be as much exposed to the nir as possi- 
ble ; and it should be caretuily defended trom wet, 
if out of doors. When this course is quite dry, and 
judged to be past a state of ferujentation, cover it 
the thickness of two inches with Sight dry earth ; if 
sandy so much the better. It is immaterial wheth- 
er it be rich or not : the only use of earth here be- 
ing for the spawn to run and mass in. Now lay 
another course of droppmgs, ond earth ihem over 
as above, when past a state of fermentation : then 
a third course, which in like manner earth over. 
This finishes the bed, w ichwili be a very strong 
and productive one if properly managed afrerw ;acis. 
Observe, that in forining the bed it should be a lit- 
tle rounded, in order that the centre may not be 
more wet or moist than the sides. This may be 
done in forming the sole or floor at first, isnd the bed 
would then be of equal strength in all parts. If it 
be made up against a wall in a cellar, stable, or shed, 
it may have a slope of a few inches from the back 
to the fronts less or more, according to its breadth, 
10* 



108 MUSHROOMS. 

I have sometimes been contented with two courses 
as above, instead of three ; and often when mate- 
rials were scarce, have made them up shghter, 
thus : three four inch courses of droppings with one 
inch of earth between each, and a two inch covering 
at top. Such a bed as this I have had produce for 
ten or twelve months together ; but very much de- 
pends on the state of the materials, and on the care 
taken in making it up ; also on the after manage- 
ment. The droppings of hard-fed horses only are 
useful. Those of horses kept on green food will, 
of themselves pro-luce few or no mushrooms. I 
have made up beds from farm horses, fed partly on 
hard and partly on green food, and from carriage 
or saddle horses, fed entirely on corn and hay ; trea- 
ted them in the same way in every respect ; and 
have found not once, but always, those made from 
the latter most productive. Droppings from hard 
fed horses may be procured at the public stables 
in towns, or at inns in the country, any time of the 
year; and if the supply be plentiful, a bed of con- 
siderable dimensions may be made and finished 
within five or six weeks. In as many more weeks, 
if in a stable or dry cellar, or a flued shed, it will be- 
gin to produce, and often sooner; but if the situa- 
tion of the bed be cold, it will sometimes be two or 
three months in producing Mushrooms." 

It may be necessary to state further, that extremes 
of heat, cold, drought and moisture, should be avoid- 
ed in the cultivation of Mushrooms. If the tempe- 
rature keeps up to 50^^ in the winter, beds will be safe, 
and the heat in the beds may rise to 60 or even 70*^ 
without injury. Air also must be admitted in pro- 
portion to the heat, and 60*^ should be aimed at as 
a medium temperature. Water given a little ai a 
time, is better than too much at once after the 
spawn has begun to spread ; and the water for this 



MUSHROOMS. 109^ 

purpose should always be luade blood warm. A 
light covering of straw may be always used to pre- 
serve moisture on the surface; and if the beds be 
made in open frames, or otherwise subject to expo- 
sure, the straw may be laid thicker than on beds 
made in a cellar. Should beds fail in producing 
Mushrooms, after having been kept over hot or wet, 
it may be inferred that the spawn is injured or des- 
troyed ; but if on the contrary a bed that has been 
kept moderately warm and drv, should happen to 
be unproductive, such bed may be w^ell replenished 
with warm water, and a coat of warm dung may 
he laid over the whole ; if this does not enliven the 
bed after having lain a month, lake off the earth, 
and if on examination tbeie is no appearance of 
spawn, the whole may be destroyed, but if on the 
contrary the bed should contain spawn, it maybe 
renovated by covering it again, especially if any 
small tubercles be discernable, bui if the heat should 
have declined, the spawn may be taken out and 
used in a fresh bed. If beds be formed in hot bed 
frames, under glass, some mats or s'raw must be 
laid over the glass to break off the intense heat of 
the sun. 

Although oniy one species of edible fungi has yet 
been introduced to the garden, there are several 
eatable kinds. In Poland and Russia there are 
above thirty sorts in common use among the pea- 
santry. They are gathered at different stages of 
their growth, and used in various ways ; raw, boil- 
ed, stewed, roasted, and being hut>g up and dried in 
their stoves and chimneys, form a part of their win- 
ter stock of provisions. Great caution is necessary 
in selecting any species of this tribe for food, and 
none but the Botanist should search for any but the 
sortwe have described. Physicians say, that all the 
edible species should be thoroughly masticated be- 



no FLOWER GARDEN. 

fore taken into the stomach, as this greatly lessens' 
the effects of poisons. When accidents of the sort 
happen, vomiting should be immediately excited, 
and then the vegetable acids should be given, eith- 
er vinegar, lemon juice, or that of apples; after 
which, give ether and antispasmodic remedies, to 
stop the excessive bilous vomiting. Infusions of 
gallnut, oak bark, and Peruvian bark are recom- 
mended as capable of neutrahzing the poisonous 
principle of Mushrooms. It is, however, the safest 
way not to eat any but the well known kinds, until 
they have been soaked in vinegar. Spirits of wine 
and vinegar are calculated to extract some part of 
their poison. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 

Previous to forming a Flower Garden, tlie ground 
should be made mellow and rich, by being well 
pulverized, manured, and prepared in every respect 
as directed for the Kitchen Garden. A Flower 
Garden should be protected from cold cutting winds 
by close fences, or plantattons of shrubs, forming a 
close and compact hedge, which should be neatly 
trimmed every year. Generally speaking, a Flower 
Garden should not be upon a large scale ; the beds 
or borders should in no part of them be broader than 
the cultivater can reach to, without treading on 
them : the shape and number of the beds must be 
determined by the size of the ground, and the taste 
of the person laying out the garden. Much of the 
beauty of a pleasure garden depends on the manner 
in which it is laid out ; a great variety of figures 
may be indulged in for the Flower bed. Some 
choose oval or circular forms, others squares, trian- 



FLOWER GARDEN. Ill 

gles, hearts, diamonds, &c., and intersected winding 
gravel walks. 

Neatness should be the prevailing characteristic 
of a Flower Garden, and u should be so situated as 
lo form an ornamental appendage to the house ; and 
where circumstances will admit, placed before win- 
dows exposed to a soulbern or south-eastern aspect. 
The principle on which it is laid out, ought to be 
that of exhibiting a variety of colour and form, so 
blended as to present one beautiful whole. In a 
small Flower Garden, vie\ved from the windows of 
a house, this effect is best produced by beds, or bor- 
ders formed on the side of each other, and parallel 
to the windows from whence they are seen, as by 
that position the colours slsow themselves to the best 
advantage. In a retired part of the garden, a rus- 
tic seat may be formed, over and around which ho- 
ney-suckles and other sweet and ornamental creep- 
ers and climbers may he trained on trellises, so as 
to afford a pleasant retirement. 

Although the greatest display is produced by a 
general flower garden, that is, by cultivating such 
a variety of sorts in one bed or border as may nearly 
insure a constant blooming, yet bulbous plants, 
while essential to the perfection of the Flower Gar- 
den, lose something of their peculiar beauty when 
not cultivated by themselves. The extensive vari- 
ety of bulbous roots furnish means for the formation 
of a garden, the beauty of which arising from an 
intermixture of every variety of form and colour, 
would well repay the trouble of cultivation, particu- 
larly as by a judicious selection and management, a 
succession of bloom may be kept up for some length 
of time. As, however, bulbous flowers lose their 
richest tints about the time that annuals begin to 
display their beauty, there can be no well founded 
objection to the latter being .transplanted into the 



112 FLOWERS. 

bulbous beds, so tbat the opening blossoms of the 
annuals may till the place of those just withered, 
and continueio suppi) i he flower b -ds with all the 
gaiety and splendour of the floral kmgdoni. 

But the taste of the florist will be exercised to 
little purpose, in his selection of flowers, if he does 
not pay strict attention to the general state of his 
garden. If there are lawns or grass walks, they 
should be frequently trimmed, and more frequently- 
mowed and rolled, to prevent the grass from inter- 
fering with the flower beds, and to give the whole 
a neat regular carpet-like appearance. If there 
are gravel walks, they should be frequently clean- 
ed, repl nished with fresh gravel, and rolled. Box 
and other edgings should be kept clear of weeds, 
and neatly trimmed every spring. Decayed plants 
sliould be removed, and replaced with vigorous ones 
from the nuraery bed. Tall flowering plants must 
be supported by neat poles or rods ; and all dead 
stalks and leaves from decayed flowers, most be fre- 
quently removed. 

In the summer season, all kinds of insects must 
be timely destroyed, and in the evening of warm 
days, the flowers will require frequent watering. 



FLOWERS. 

Whate'er has beauty, worth, or power, 
Or grace, or lustre, is a flower ; 
Wit is a flower ; and bards prepare 
The flowers of fancy for the fair ; 
Deep in the bosom dwells a flower. 
Not time shall taint, nor death devour ; 
A Klower that no rude season fears, 
And VIRTUE is J,he fruit it bears. 



1 LOWERS. 113 

A CATALOGUE OF ANNUAL FLOWER SEEDS. 

Graines defieures annuelles. 

Alkekengi or Kite flower, Jltropa pliysaloides. 

Alyssum Sweet, Myssum maritium, 

§ Amarantlius, three co- 
loured, Jlmaranthiis tricolor. 

Amethyst, blue, Amethysiea cerulect. 

§ Balsamines of various 

colours, Impatiens halsamina. 

Bladder keiinia. Hibiscus trionum. 

Blue bottle, great, Centaurea cyanus major. 

Blue bottle, small, cyanus minor. 

§ Browallia (blue and 

\vhite,) Browallia data. 

§ Cacalia, scarlet, Cacalia coccinea. 

Candytuft, white and pur- 
ple, Iberis alba and purpurea. 

Do. sweet scented, odorata. 

Catch-fly, Silene armeria. 

§ Centaurea, great Ame- 
rican, Centaurea Jlmencana. 

China asters of various 

kinds and colours, Aster sinensis. 

Chrysanthemum, white, 
- yellow, and tri-co- 

louredf Chrysanthemum coronan- 

um. 

§ Cockscomb, crimson 

and yellow, Celoeia cristata. 

* Convolvulus, dwarf. Convolvulus minor. 

Coreopsis, Golden, Coreopsis iinctoria. 

Coreopsis, elegant, Coreopsis grande flora. 

Cuckold's Horn, (two sta- 

mined, Martynia diandria. 

Devil in a bush, or Love 

in a mist, J^igella damascena. 



114 • FLOWERS. 

Dew Plant, Messembryanthemum gla- 

bimm. 

* Evening primrose, Oenothera grandijlora, 
Eternal flower, yellow, Xeranthemwn lucidum. 

Do. purple, annuum. 

Euphorbia, variegated, Euphorbia variegata. 
Feather, grass, Stipa pinnata. 

Flos adonis, Adonis miniata. 

§ Globe Amaranthiis, 
purple, white, and 
striped, Gomphrena globosa. 

Hawkweed, yellow, Crepis barbata aurantia. 

Do. red, rubra. 

* Hedge Hogs, Medicago intertexta. 

§ Ice plant, Mesembryanthemum chrys- 

taU'mum. 
Jacobea or Groundsell, 

purple and white, Senecio elegans and alba. 
Job's Tears, Coix lachryma Jobi. 

Larkspur, broad leaved, Delphinium peregnniwn. 
Do. branching and 

upright, consolidum. 

La at era, European, Lavatera trimestris. 
Lovelies bleeding, Amaranthus melancholicus. 

* Lupins of various co- 

lours, Lapinus var. 

Marigold, African, Tagetes erecta. 

Do. French, patula. 

Marigold, starry. Calendula stellata. 

* Marvel of Peru, (or 4 

o'clock,) JMirabilis jalapa. 

* Mignonette, (sweet 

scented,) Reseda odorata. 

Nolana, traihng, J^olanaprostrata. 

* Oats, animated, Jlvena sensativa. 
Pansey or Heart's Ease, Viola tricolor, 

* Poppy, horned, Glaucum luteum. 



FLOWERS, 115 

* Poppy, officinal white, Papaver somniferum. 
Peiitapetes, scarlet, Fentapetes Fhcenica. 
Prince's feather, Jlmaranthus hypocondnacu^ 
§ Sensitive plant. Mimosa sensitiva. 
Strawberry Spinach, Blitum capitatum. 
Sunflower, tall and dwarf, Helianthiis annuus. 
Sweet Sultan, purple, 

w^hite, and yellow, Centaurea var. 

* Stock Ten Week, or 

gilliflower, various co- 
lours, Cheiranthus annuus, 

Toucii me not, JVo// me tangere. 

Trefoil, crimson, Trijoiium incarnatum^ 
Do. sweet scented, odoraia. 

* Venus' looking-glass. Campanula speculum. 
Venus' navel wort. Cotyledon macrophyllwn 
Ximenisia, Mexican, Ximenisia ensaloides. 
Zinnia, red and yellow, Zinnia^ rubra and lutea. 

The following are climbin p. an is. and will re- 
quire to be planted in situa i^ns wl.t e they can be 
supported by sticks or twine, without iuterferina 
witli other plants. 

Balloon vine, or love in a 

puff, Cardiospennum. 

§ Cypress vine, Ipomoea cocdnea. 

Fumitory pink, Fumana fungosa. 

Hyacinth Bean, Dilochos, purpurea ^ alba. 

iVIorning Glory, various 

colours, Convolvulus major. 

Balsam Apple and Pear, JMomordica balsamina. 
Gourd, the bottle, Cucurbita lagenaria. 

Do. two coloured, bicolor. 

Do. orange, aurantia. 

Snake Melon, Cucmnis melo anguhius. 

Bweet Peas of various 

kinds and colours, Lathyrus odoratus. 



116 FLOWERS. 

All kinds of annual Flower seeds may be sowb 
iu the month of April and May, on borders or beds 
of clean light earth, which should be previously 
manured with rich compost oi old dung. This be- 
ing incoipoiated well with the soil, the beds should 
be levelled, and the seeds sown either in small 
patches, each kind by itself, or in drills from 1-4 to 
1-2 an inch deep, according to the size or nature of 
the seed. Those who would have their plants to 
flower early, should sow the hardy kinds the last 
week in March, or early in April, the most tender 
(which are marked §) may be sown in boxes or pots 
of light earth at the same time. These, if exposed 
to the sun every day, and sheltered in cold nights, 
will be forwarded in growth, and be fit to transplant 
early in June. Those marked *, may also be sown 
in small pots. As these plants do not well bear 
transplanting, they should be turned out of the pots 
with the balls of earth entiie, and placed in the 
ground where they are imeuded to flower; or if 
the seed be sown in a bed wiih other kinds, they 
should be carefully transplanted with a trow^el, 
without disturbing the roots. The most eligible 
way to obtain early flowers, is to prepare a slight 
hot bed for the tender kinds, and either to plunge 
the pots therein up to their brhns, or to sow the seed 
in the earth in shallow drills not more than a quar- 
ter of an mch deep. 

To prevent disappointment, I would recommend 
that great care be token to keep the seed beds as 
clear from weeds as possible. It cannot be denied 
but young plants are apt to get smothered and some- 
times pulled up with weeds. To obviate this, I 
would suggest that the seeds be sown in shallow 
drills, each kind by itself, and that an account be 
kept of the contents of each drill in a book ; also of 
all seeds that are sown at difterent times, and by be- 



FLOWERS. 117 

ing particular in the dates, you may always know 
when to expect your plants to come up. In order 
that this may be rendered plain to my readers, I 
adopt the following plan of entry of six kinds sown 
in pots, and six in the open ground : 

April 20, sowed flower seeds in pots. 

Pot marked A, or 1, Jlmaranthus tricolor. 

B, or 2, Balsamines. 

C, or 3, Cockscomb, crimson. 

D, or 4, Egg Plant, 

E, or 5, Ice Plant, 

F, or 6, Mignonette, 

These pots may be either marked with letters or 
figures on the outside, to answer with the book, or 
notches may be cut in wood, or other labels aflftxed 
to the pots, and entered accordingly. 

April 20, sowed flower seeds in drills, as under : 
No. 1, Bladder ketmia. 

2, Coreopsis tinctoria, 

3, Yellow eternal flower, 

4, Globe amaranthus, 

5, Prince's feather. 

6, Larkspur branching. 

If these numbers be continued to 100, or even 
1000, there can be no mistake, provided the rows 
are all marked according to the entry in the book ; 
or if No. 1 be noted, plain sticks will answer after* 
wards, if one be stuck at each end of every row. 
In this case, it would be well to leave a space every 
ten or twenty rows, and note the number of the 
rows ; by this means, they can be the more easily 
traced. 

If the book be kept by any other than the Gar- 
dener, each bag or paper of seed should be marked 
or numbered according the entry in the book, and 



118 



FLOWERS. 



given to the Gardener, with directions to sow them 
in the regular order. 



BIENNIAL AND PERENNIAL FLOWER SEEDS. 

Graines dejleurs bisannuelles et vivaces* 

Those marked || are Biennials. 

Adonis, spring flowering, Adonis vernalis. 
Alpine Columbine, Jlquilegia alpina, 

Alyssum, yellow, Alyssum saxaiile. 

Asiatic globe flower, Trollius Asiaticus. 

Bee Larkspur, Delphinium elatum. 

II Canterbury Bells, (blue 

and white,) Campanula mtdium. 

Cardinal flower, scarlet, Lobelia cardinalis. 
Cassia, Maryland, Cassia Marylandica. 

Carnation, pink, 
Chinese^ imperial pink, 
Clove, do. 
Colutea, scarlet. 
Coreopsis Lanceolatum, 
Coronet, flowered Lych- 

niss. Lychnis coronata. 

II Clary, purple topped, Salvia sclara. 
Crimson Bergamot, Monarda Kalmiana. 

Columbine, double. 
Dragon's head, 
European globe flower, 
Eupotorium, blue. 



Dianthus caryophyllus . 

Chinensis. 

hortensis. 
Sutherlandia frutescen^.. 
Coreopsis lanceolatum. 



Fox-glove, purple. 
Do. white, 

Fraxanella, red. 
Gentian, purple, 



Jlquilegia vulgaris. 
Dracocephalum. 
Trollius Europaeus 
Eupotorium cerulea. 
Digitalis purpurea. 

alba. 
Dictamnus rubra. 
Gentiana saponaria. 



FLOWERS. n§ 

Gentian, Porcelain flow- 
ered, Gentiana adscendens, 

Gilliflower, many sorts, Cheiranthus incanus. 

Globe Thistle, Echinops sphodrocephalus.. 

Hollyhock, black Ant- 
werp, Mtheajl. nigra. 

Do. China of sorts, Jilthea Chinensis var. 

Do. English do. Anglica var. 

II Honesty, or Satin Flow- 
er, Lanaria biennis. 

Ivy Leaved Toad Fiax, Lintria cymbalaria. 

Jacob's l^adder, Polemonium cerulemn. 

Liatris, Ion 2^ spiked, Liatris spit at a. 

Lupin Pere'inial, Luphius perennis. 

Lychnis, Dwarf Moun- 
tain, Ijychnis Mmna. 

Do. scarlet, Chalcedonica. 

London Pride, or Maiden 

Pink, Dianthus deltoides. 

Monks'-hood, Jiconitum napellus. 

Moukey-flower, bhie, Mhnulus nngfns. 

Phlox, or French Lilac, Phlox, many species. 

Pink, pheasant-eved, Dianthus plvmarius. 

Perennial Ca-npaiuila, Campanula per skafolia. 

Perennial Larkspur, Delphinium grandifiorum. 

Purple Perennial Flax, Liaumperenne. 

II Pyramidal Bell Flower, Campanula pyramidalis. 

Queen of the Meadows, Spiraea ulmaria. 

Rose Campion, Jigrostemma coronaria* 

Rudbeckia, yellow and Rudbeckia lutea and pur* 
purple, purea. 

Sophora, white and blue, Sophora alba and cerulean 

Sun Flower, perennial, 

many flowering, Helianihus altissimus. 

II Sweet Scabious, Scabiosa atropurpurea. 

Sweet Rocket, Hesperis matronalis. 

Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus. 

11* 



120 FLOWERS. 

il Sweet Chili Marigold, Tagetes lucida. 

Valerian, Garden, Valeriana rubra. 

Val erian, Greek, Polemonium cerulea 

Verbena, purple. Verbena purpurea. 

Veronica, variegated, Veronica variegata. 

Veronica, tall blue, Veronica elata cerulea. 

11 Wall Flower, bloody, Cheiranthus cheiri. 

(Climbing Plants.) 

Ever-lasting Peas, Lathyrus latifolius. 

Purple Glycine, Glycine apios. 

Scarlet Trumpet Flower, Bignonia radicans. 
Sweet Viro-in's Bower, Clematis Jiammula. 
Traveller's Joy, vitalba. 

Virginian Virgin's Bower, Virginiana. 

Biennial and perennial flower seeds may be sowis 
in the month of April, in shallow drills. If this bu- 
siness be performed in the manner recommended for 
annuals, they can be easily distinguished from each 
other; and as these plants do not flower the first 
year, they may be thinned out, or removed from the 
seed beds as soon as they are well rooted, and plan- 
ted either inio different parts of the flower beds, or 
in a nursery bed. If the latter plan be adopted, they 
should be planted in rows a foot or more apart, and 
kept free from weeds by means of a small hoe, 
which will greatly promote their growth, and pre- 
pare them for transplanting into the ground, (where 
they are intended to flower,) either in the autumn 
or early in the ensuing spring. It may be remark- 
ed that biennials are raised principally from seed 
sown every year. They seldom survive the second 
winter to flower in perfection, unless they are re- 
newed by cuttings of top shoots, young flower stalks, 
or casual root-offsets, layers, &c. It will be unne- 
cessary to take this trouble unless it be with any 



FLOWERS. 121 

extraordinary double-flowering f^ants. Soi^e of 
the perennials may be increased by root offsets de- 
tached from the old plants, and planted in Spring 
or Autumn ; others by bottom suckers and shps of 
top shoots, layers, and pipings of young shoots, &c. 

It may be necessary to state further, that there 
area great variety of beautiful double flowering pe- 
rennial herbaceous plants, that will not produce 
seed ; many of these may be obtained of the Flo- 
rists, and should be introduced into the regular 
flower beds ; the mode of increasing such, is by 
layers, cuttings, offsets, &c. detached from the old 
plants. As the earth within the flower beds will 
need to be fresh dug and replenished with good 
compost or manure, once in two or three years, it 
may be necessary to take up all the perennial plants 
at such times. Such roots as may be overgrown, 
should be deprived of their surplus offsets, and may 
be planted in a nursery bed, or returned with the 
parent plants into the regular flower beds. 

In removing plants into the beds where they are 
intended to flower, great pains should be taken to 
preserve some of the earth to the roots, and the 
ground should be previously brought into good con- 
dition, so that they may strike freely, and produce 
their flowers in perfection. The plants should be 
so arranged that they may all be seen. The most 
dwarfish may be placed in front, and others in a reg- 
ular gradation to the tallest behind ; or the tallest 
may be planted along the middle of the beds, and 
the others on each side according to their varied 
heights and colours. 

There is no part of gardening which requires so 
much elegance of taste and fancy, as in setting ofi' 
a border or bed of intermixed flowers to advantage. 
In assemblage with other flowers, the different kinds 
of hardy bulbs may be planted in small clumps of 



122 FLOWERS. 

J5ix,^^even, or eight inches in diameter, tlnee, four, 
five or more roots in eacli, according to tiieir size 
and growfli, and these at suitable distances from 
one another. Likewise, observe to diversify the 
kinds and colours, so as to display when in bloom 
the greatest possible variety of shades and contrasts. 

In my preiimmary observatioiis, I directed the 
attention of my readers to sonie important points 
respectitjg walks, edgings, &;*. — ahhough box is 
superior to any thing else lor e-igiugs; yet in ex- 
tensive gardens, dwnrf plants of various kinds may 
be used for such purpose. Tinift is the neatest 
small evergreen next to box ; bur Violets, Pinks, 
Pere winkle, P I nspy,or even Parsley, Thy me, St raw- 
berry plants, &c. may be used for the sake of diver- 
sity. These will require irequent watering and 
trimming, and ihe Thrift, &c. shoidd be sometimes 
taken up, divided at the roots, and replanted. Box 
edgings will also require frequent pruning, and 
trimming ; and once in from seven to ten years, the 
whole may be taken up, divided and replanted, and 
the surplus slips may be planted in a nursery l)ed 
iti rows about a foot apart ; these will be suitable 
for making edgings the year following. 

Flower beds should be kept free from weeds, and 
watered occasionally in the summer. In the au- 
tumn they should be covered with straw or light 
litter; tliis should be taken off in the spring, and 
the ground should be hoed and dressed in such a 
manner as to enliven the earth around the roots of 
the plants, as also to give the whole a neat appear- 
ance. 

Having already exceeded my limits, I must omit 
furnishing a Catalogue of Bulbous Flower roots. 
Messrs Thorburn & Sons, import all the various 
kinds every year from Holland. The following di- 
rections for their mant^gement are annexed to their 
<:atalogue : 



MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 123 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION AND 
MANAGEMENT OF BULBOUS ROOTS. 

In no class of plants has nature so varied her de- 
licate tints as in this. It would seem as if each 
change she was capable of forming, was included 
in the varying beauties of the TuHp. In some gar- 
dens in Holland, they cultivate, by distinct nanies^ 
above eleven hundred varieties of Tulips, thirteen 
hundred of Hyacinths, and six hundred of Ranun- 
culus and Anemones, some of which are sold as high 
as sixty dollars the single root ; and it is mentioned 
in the travels of Mr. Dutens in that country in HTl, 
of his having seen ten thousand florins ($4000) re- 
fused for a single Hyacinth. 

Situation, <^c. — A southern exposure, dry and 
airy, and sheltered from the north winds, is prefer- 
able for most bulbs, but Anemones and Ranunculus 
will do better in a situation with a southern aspect, 
and at the same time in some measure sheltered 
from the intense heat of noonday. Perhaps no 
class of flowers affords eo many delights, and so 
richly repays us for each little care bestowed on 
them. 

The pioper compost for Hyacinths, Tulips, Crown 
Imperials, Iris, Ranunculus, Anemones, Crocuses., 
Colchicums, and most other bulbs, is as follows : 

One third sand,*" one third well rotted coio yard 
manure, and one third good garden mould. Let 
the beds thus formed be well pulverized to the depth 
of fifteen or eighteen inches, that the three compo- 
nent parts may be well mixed together ; a fourth 
part of rotten wood or vegetable mould from a 
swamp may be added to the above, if convenient to 
be obtained, and will be at all times beneficial in 
giving additional hghtness to the soil. 



124 MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 

The beds should be raised from two to three 
inches above the level of the walks, which will give 
an opportunity for all superfluous moisture to run 
off; some sand (not gravel) strewed in the trenches 
made for the roots, both before and after placing 
them, would be of advantage. 

On the approach of winter, it would be beneficial 
fo spread the beds with tanner's bark, withered 
leaves, straw, or light rotten earth from the woods, 
such as is formed by the decay of leaves, to the depth 
of two or three inches, as it prevents any ill effects 
which a severe season might have on the roots ; but 
it should be carefully raked off again early in the 
spiing. 

Time of Planting, ij-c— For Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Crown Imperials, Lillies, Polyanthus, Narcissus, 
Double Narcissus, Jonquilles, Iris, Crocuses, Col- 
chicums. Star of Bethlehems, Paeonies, Snowdrops, 
Snowflakes, Gladiolus, and most other hardy bulbs, 
the preferable seasons for planting are the months 
of November and December. 

Polyanthus Narcissus is more delicate than Hya- 
cinths and Tulips : when they are planted in the 
open ground, it is advisable to cover the beds with, 
straw, leaves, &c. to the depth of six or seven inches, 
and uncover them about the middle of March. 

The Ranunculus and A.nemone are not so ten- 
der as is generally supposed ; they may either be 
planted in October or November, in a warm situa- 
tion; and be protected during winter by a covering 
of three or four inches of leaves or tanners' bark, or 
they may be kept in dry sand during the winter 
season, and be planted in March or April. To 
have a succession of flowers, a proportion may be 
planted in autumn, and the residue in the spring; 
and, if treated as above directed, very little care is 
necessary to have them flower in perfection. 



MANAGEMENT OP BULBS. 125 

The different species of Amaryllis, Ixias, Ferraria 
Tigrida or Tiger Flo vtr. Double Tuberose, and 
most other delicate buios, may be planted during 
the months of November or December, in pots,when 
intended to be sheltered durmg winter, or they can 
be kept in dry sand until the month of May, (which 
is the preferable method,) and then be planted in 
the open ground, or in flower-pots, and exposed to 
the air when the weather is peitectly settled. 

Lachenalias should be potted in August, in a hght 
sandy soil, well enriched with vegetable mould, and 
a small quantity of white sand. 

The Double Dahlia. — This flower has lately been 
called the Georgma. It is a native of Mexico, but 
has been brought to great perfection in England. 
The climate of the United States is remarkably con- 
genial to its habits, and it grows with great luxuri- 
ance. It also succeeds admirably in the West In- 
dia Islands. It is becoming quite fashionable, its 
many fine qualities bringing it into deserved esti- 
mation. When the weather gets v. arm, about the 
beginning of M;iy, you will observe the young shoots 
which have forced their way throiigii the old stem 
which is lefi with the root ; split this down, so that 
a shoot or eye may remain with each piece. Plant 
in a rich soil in the borders three feet apart, or in 
clumps, selecting a variety of colours, and placing 
the tallest growing kinds in the centre. Put the 
root two inches below^ the surface, and if it has but 
one good eye, it will mfske a prettier plant than 
when it has more. After it has grown about three 
feet, take some day when the ground has been soft- 
etied by rain, and drive in a stout stick, from six to 
ten feet long, about eighteen inches into the ground, 
near each plant ; but take care not to let it be so 
close as to injure it ; or the sticks may be put in at 
the time of planting. Let the stick be made from 



126 MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 

one inch or one and a half hich plank, planed 
smooth, with a pointed and notched head, and 
painted gieen. The branches of the Dahlia are ex- 
tremely brittle ; and if your garden is exposed to 
the sweeping winds which often occur in the fall, 
you must tie every branch very carefully to the 
stick, otherwise the expectations of a year may be 
laid prostraie in an instant. This is not so neces- 
sary ni the city, or in well sheltered gardens. Some- 
times a few forward buds will open their premature 
beauties to the burning beams of a July or August 
sun, but their lustre is quickly dimmed. The lat- 
ter end of September, some seasons all October, and 
part of November, witness the Dahlia in all its glo- 
ry. The bnihancy of the flowers may be preserved 
for several days by suading them. Some of the 
kinds are inconceivably splendid, and no flower ex- 
hibits such a variety of all that is rich and magnifi- 
cent in colours. What a pity it is, that with all its 
desirable properties, it should be so tender. The 
frost blights it like a pestilence, and when that has 
taken place, the stem must be cut ofl'two or three 
inches from the ground, and after a few days the 
root taken up and exposed to dry for some time, 
then cover it well in dry sand, and put it away in 
the cellar to remain through the winter. 

The London florists, it is said, from choice, plant 
the Dahlia in poor gravelly soil, and in England it 
may do very well ; because whatever may be the 
nature of the soil, the continued moisture would 
force them to grow, if it were saw-dust ; but here 
it is aUogether a diiferent matter. If the weather 
should remain dry for five or six weeks in summer, 
Dahlias planted in poor soil are absolutely burnt 
up, destroyed ; and only those in good and gener- 
ous soils can sustain the daily scorching of an Ame- 
rican sun. We had forcible evidence of this fact, 



MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 127 

both last year and this. A gentleman, whom we 
know very well, planted a piece of the Alexandria 
Victoria in a part of his garden, which is as rich as 
a hot bed, and in November it surpassed in beauty 
and magnificence any plant ever raised in a starved 
and hungry soil. It was upwards of twelve feet 
high, and there were in full expansion at the same 
time, between thirty and forty large double flowers 
of the most dazzhng and brilliant colour. 

In the early part of this summer a great quantity 
of rain fell, which was very favourable to the growth 
of the Dahlia, and many fine flowers opened m July; 
but the subsequent long-continued drought ruined 
and cut off all those which were not planted in a 
substantial soil. 

Oxalls.— This is a genus of pretty little plants ; 
their roots are very small bulbs, articulated, jointed, 
or granulated, in a manner peculiar to this genus ; 
they grow well in a sandy loam, and require only 
very small pots; care must be taken not to water 
them after they are done flowering. If planted in 
the open ground, plant them in April in beds of light 
sandy soil ; in case of severe weather, throw a mat 
over them till the beginning of May, then all cover- 
ing may be removed for the season, and as each sort 
finishes flowering, and the leaves begin to fade, take 
them up, and place the bulbs in small pots of dry 
sand, carefully preserved from frost. If intended 
for blowing in the house in the winter season, plant 
them the beginning of September, and leave them 
out till the weather becomes cool, say beginning of 
October ; their treatment in doors is the same as 
other bulbs. 

Mexican Tiger Floioer, {Ferraria tignda.) — The 
root of this flower should be planted in April, or 
early in May, in a light sandy soil, in a warm situ- 
ation ; it will also do well in a pot, and flowers in 
12 



128 MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 

July. It often happens that the same root bears 
several flowers in succession. It is scentless, but 
very beauiiful. In October, cut off the stalk, 
take up the root, dry it well for a few days, and put 
it away in (hy sand, till the spring. If there are 
any offsets, take them off, and plant them separate- 
ly from the mother root. 

Depth and Distances.— Hyac'mihs, Amaryllis, 
Martagon, and other large LiUies, and Peeonies, 
should be planted at the.depth o( tour inches; Crown 
Imperials and Polyanthus Narcissus, five inches ; 
Tulips, Double Narcissus, Jonquilles, Colchicums, 
and Snowtlakes, three inches; Bulbous Irises, Cro- 
cuses, Arums, small Fritellarias, Tiger Flowers, 
Gladiolus, Lachenalis, and Snowdrops, ivvo inches; 
Ranunculus, Anemonies, Oxalis, and Dog's Tooth 
Violets, one inch ; always measuring from the top 
of the bulb. The rows should be about ten inches 
apart, and the roots be placed bom four to six inches 
apart in the rows, acconiing to their size. 

Take up Bulbous Roots about a month after the 
bloom is completely over, in the following manner; 
when the plants put on a yellowish decayed ap- 
pearance, then take up the roots, and cuff the stem 
and foliage, within an inch of the bulbs, but leave 
the fibres, &c. attached to it; spread them in an airy 
room, for two or three weeks to dry, after which, 
wrap each root carefully in paper, (as the air is very 
injurious to bulbs) or cover them in sand perfectly 
dry. 

The culture of delicate exotic bulbs in green-hou- 
ses, &c. is suflficiently simple, provided two pomts 
be attended to ; the first is, to take care not to in- 
jure their leaves and keep them near the hght, and 
turn the pots frequently round, or the plants will 
draw to the light and grow crooked ; and the se- 
cond is, when the plants have done growing, to 



MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 129 

give them little or no water. From ignorance of 
the importance of attending to these two points, 
bulbs have been often known to have lived for years 
in green-houses and shown no blossoms, especially 
of the genera ./imary/Zw. Whether a bulb (which 
does not bloom the first year) will blossom or not, 
depends entirely on its culture during the foregoing 
season ; that is, whether it was so circumstanced as 
to bring its leaves to perfection. If the leaves were 
fully grown, and properly exposed to the influence 
of thehght, then the sap will have been duly elab- 
orated by them, and an embryo flower formed in 
the bulb; if otherwise, no embryo will have been 
formed, and no culture whatever during the suc- 
ceeding year will efl'ect the production of a flower 
during that year. All bulbs have a certain period of 
the year in which they are in a dormant state; this, 
in a state of nature, is invariably after the seeds are 
ripened; but as in a gieen-house, many or most of 
this family do not ripen seeds, the gardener is re- 
quired to watch the period when the leaves show 
indications of decay, and then to lessen supplies of 
water, and shortly afteiwards to cease from water- 
ing altogether, till the season returns, when the 
bulbs regerminate. The bulbs during this period 
are on the whole, best kept in pots, under the soil 
in a dry shady place, and in the same temperature 
as that in which they are in the habit of growing. 
Some bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, 
Crown Imperials, &c. may be taken out of the soil, 
(as before directed) and kept some time in papers ; 
but if this is done for more than seven or eight 
weeks, it tends to weaken the bulb. 

The greater part of exotic bulbs should be taken 
out of the pot and repotted in a fresh soil, a week or 
two before their period of regerminating ; loam, 
with a little sand, vegetable mould, or mould form- 



130 MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 

ed by the decay of manure, forms a compost, or 
soil, in which almost all bulbs will thrive. 

The Jlmanjllis requires a richer loam than most 
bulbs, and Ixias, Gladiolus^ and Oxalis, a soil rather 
more sandy than the general average, and this com- 
post answers well for most of the Cape, or South- 
American bulbs. It is very desirable tliat plants or 
bulbs in pots, should be named ; the best mode of 
naming plants in pots, is to take aflat shp of wood, 
sharpen one end ; rub a little white lead on two or 
three inches of its smoothest surface at the opposite 
end ; write the name with a black lead pencil on the 
white lead when it is about half dried — (the pencil 
rnark will dry in with the paint, and nothing but 
the decay of the wood will efface it) — and then in- 
sert the stick in the pot. 

Jlmaryllis Fomiosissima, or Jacobean Lily. — This 
is a flower of great beauty. It throws out grace- 
fully its glittering carmine-coloured petals, which 
have a brilliancy almost too intense for the eye to 
rest upon. It must be planted in a clean, new soil, 
naturally rich : take some from under fresh grass 
sod, and mix in a little sand. Plant in April or May, 
in a pot, or in the open ground in a sunny situation : 
place the root so that the highest point is not more 
than an inch above the surface : it will flower in 
June and July, and will well repay the little trou- 
ble of putting it into the ground. In November cut 
off the stalk, take up the root, and after drying it for 
a few days, pack it in dry sand, and put it in the cel- 
lar, to keep it from the winter's frosts. 

The Amaryllis giganteae, Johnsoniensis, vitata, 
reginse, and belladonna, should be potted very care- 
fully, observing to set the bulb not more than half 
its depth in the ground, that is, on the top of the 
earth, so that half of the bulb can be seen ; if plan- 
led any depth in the earth they will not bloom, as 



MANAGEMENT OF BULBS. 131 

llie plant derives its nourishment only from the fi- 
bres ; all the Amaryllis genus require a warm expo- 
sure. 



METHOD TO BLOOM HYACINTHS AND OTHER BULBS 
IN THE WINTER SEASON, IN POTS AND GLASSES. 

For this purpose, Single Hyacinths, and such as 
are designated earliest among the double, are to be 
preferred. Single Hyacinths are generally held in 
less estimation than double ones, their colours, how- 
ever, are more vivid, and their bells, though small- 
er, are more numerous ; some of the finer sorts, are 
exquisitely beautiful; they are preferable tor flow- 
ering in winter, to most of the double ones, as they 
bloom two or three weeks earlier, and are very 
sweet scented. Roman Narcissus, Double Jonquil- 
les. Polyanthus Narcissus, Persian Cyclan)ens, Dou- 
ble Narcissus, and Crocuses, also make a fine ap- 
pearance in the paiour during winter. It is a re- 
markable circumstance of the Crocus, that it keeps 
its petals expanded during tolerably bright candle 
or lamp light, in the same way as it does during the 
light of tlie sun. If the candle be removed, the 
Crocuses close their petals, as they do in the gar- 
den when a cloud obscures the sun ; and when the 
artificial light is restored, they open again, as they 
do with the return of the direct solar rays. 

Bulbs intended for blooming in pots during the 
winter season, should be planted during the months 
of October and November, and be left exposed to 
the open air until it begins to freeze, and then be 
placed in the green-house, or a room w^here fire is 
usually made. They will need moderate occasion- 
al waterings, until they begin to grow ; then they 
12* 



132 MANAGEMENT OF BULBS, 

should have abundance of ah in mild weather, and 
plenty of water from the saucers, underneath the 
pots, whilst in a growing- state ; and should be ex- 
posed as much as possible to the sun, air, and light, 
CO prevent the leaves from growing too long, or be- 
coming yellow. 

The roots of the Double Roman J^arcissus, if plan- 
ted late in the autumn, will flower in January; they 
may be put into pots of earth, or into bulb glasses 
with water only; should be kept sheltered as soon 
as the weather turns cool; their beauty, fragrance, 
easy culture and cheapness seem to us to make one 
of the most desirable flowers imported for the orna- 
ment of our rooms. 

Hyacinths and other bulbs intended for glasses 
should be placed in them about the middle of No- 
vember, the glasses being previously filled with pure 
water, so that the bottom of the bulb may just touch 
the water; then place them for the first ten days 
in a dark room to promote the shooting of the roots, 
after which expose them to the light and sun as 
much as possible. They will blow, however, with- 
out any sun ; but the colours of the flowers will be 
inferior. The water should be changed as often as 
it becomes iFiipure ; draw the roots entirely out of 
the glasses, linsi off' the fibres in clean water, and 
the glh^ses well washed inside ; care should be ta- 
ken not: to suffer the water to freeze, as it not onlj^ 
bursts the glasses, but often causes the fibres to de- 
cay. Whether the water be hard or soft is of no 
great consequence ; but soft or rain water is con- 
sidered preferabl , but it must be perfectly clear. 

Forced bulbs are seldom good for any thing af- 
terwards ; however, those who wish to preserve 
them, may immerse them wholly in water for a few 
weeks ; and then having taken them up and dried 
them in the shade for a few days, they may be plan- 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 133 

ted in a good soil, when they will sometimes flower 
the second year. It does not clearly appear in what 
way the water operates when the bulb is wholly 
immersed; but it is certain that bulbs so treated in- 
crease in size and solidity by it, and have an incom- 
parably better chance of flowering the second year, 
than those which have not been so treated. Most 
probably their total immersion enables them to ob- 
tain a greater proportion of oxygen from the water. 

Nosegays should have the water in which their 
ends are inserted changed, on the same principle as 
bulbous roots ; and a much faded nosegay, or one 
dried up, may often be recovered for a time, by co- 
vering with a glass bell, or cup, or by substituting 
warm water for cold. 

Very fine Hyacinths have been grown in a draw- 
ing-room, in the following novel manner. A quan- 
tity of moss, classically called hypnum, and vulgarly 
fog, was placed in a water-tight box, tibout eight 
or nine inches deep, into which the bulbs were pla- 
ced in the end of September, Vv'ithout mould, and 
duly watered. The result of this experiment was 
highly favourable. 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 

Shrubs are so closely connected with flowering 
plants, and indeed so many of them are embellished 
with flowers, that they ma}^ be considered as essen- 
tial to the completion of an ornamental garden. 
Tliey are all pereimial, and are divided into two 
classes, deciduous and ever-green ; the former lose 
their leaves in the winter, the latter only shed them 
when others are ready to supply their places. 
Shrubs are not only necessary to the embellishment 



134 FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 

of a flower garden, but many kinds of them are eli- 
gible, for hedges to it, and may be planted at 
a trifling expense. These hedges should be fre- 
quently trimmed and trained,, (he sides cut even, 
and the tops sparingly clipped, so as to make 
them ornamental, as. well as useful, and also to in- 
crease the vigour of their growth. When the 
hedges become open or naked at the bottom, they 
should be plashed down ; this is done by cutting 
the branches half through neai- the ground; they 
will then bend easily, and may be interwoven with 
the adjoining branches. When Shrubs, Creepers, 
or Climbers are planted against walls or trellises, 
either on account of their rarity, delicacy, or to con- 
ceal a rough fence or other unsightly object, they 
require different modes of training ; some attach 
themselves naturally, as the ivy, and merely require 
to be occasionally guided, so as to cause a regular 
distribution of their shoots ; others must be treated 
like fruit trees, trained thinly, if blossoms are the 
object, and rather thicker, if the intention be to show 
tlie foliage to the greatest possible advantage. 

Ornamental shrubs grow from one foot to twelve 
or more in height ; and where such are planted for 
ornament, the height of each plant when full grown 
should be considered, and also the mode of growth, 
that every one may be so planted as to show to ad- 
vantage, observing that the tall growing should be 
planted in the back borders, and those of low growth 
forward; but if they are required to be planted in 
clumps, they should be so arranged as to rise gra- 
dually from the sides to the middle, and be after- 
wards neatly trimmed. Shrul^s require an annual 
pruning, at wiiich time, cut out all irregular and su- 
perfluous branches, and head down such as require, 
it, forming them into handsome bushes ; apply 
stakes to such as may need support, and see that 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 135 

the low growing ones do not injure each other, nor 
interfere with other dwarfish plants near them. 

Manylvindsof Shrubs may be raised horn seed 
sown early in tlie spring, but are more commonly 
propagated by suckers, layers, or cuttings. Like 
other plants, they require a good soil, which should 
be manured every two or three years, and some of 
the tender kinds should have some protection in 
winter. The following list, taken from an article in 
the New-York Farmer and Horticultural Reposito- 
ry, furnished by Mr. Floy, contains the most of 
those usually planted in gardens and on lawns. 
These will furnish a succession of flowers from 
spring until fall, and may be obtained at the nurse- 
ries here at moderate prices. 

Jlmorpha 'fruticosa. — Indigo shrub, with hand- 
some bunches of purple flowers in great quantities^ 
Jlmygdalus nana. Dwarf double flowering Almond, 
a very beautiful dwarf shrub, about 3 feet high, 
Aralia spinosa, or Angehca tree, about 10 feet high, 
flowers in very large bunches, and continues a long 
season. . Cytisus Laburnum^ or Golden chain, a 
most elegant shrub, ^^ith long racemes or bunches 
of yellow flowers, in the greatest profusion ; there 
are two kinds, the Enghsh and the Scotch Labur- 
num. The Scotch is the largest, forming a pretty 
large shrub ; the English kind is greener, more 
compact, and by some, thought to be the handsom- 
est ; they ought to be in every gaiden. Calycanthiis 
FZoric^Ms, Allspice or sweet scented shrub, a native of 
the Southern States ; the flowers are of a very dark 
chocolate colour, and the fragrance very much re- 
sembles ripe strawberries, easily kept where once in- 
troduced ; the shrub generally grows about 5 feet 
high in gardens. Ceanothus Americanus, Red loot, 
or Jersey Tea tree, worth having a plant or two in 
the collection, as it flowers in profusion. Cercis sU 



136 FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 

Uquastriim, or Judas tree. The flowers appear very 
early before the leaves come out, and make a tine 
appearance ; as it grows rather tall, it is calculated 
for the back row of the shrubbery. Coluted m-bo- 
rescenSf^OY Bladder Senna, having bunches of ye/low 
flowers, which are succeeded by seeds in a kind of 
bladder, calculated for the back or centre row of 
shrubberies. 

CratoRgus oxyacantha, the Hawthorn. It makes 
a pretty appearance planted out singly in the back 
or centre row ; the flowers are very fragrant.; it is 
sometimes called the Pride of May; the double 
tvhite, double scarlet, and single scarlet Hawthorn, are 
extremely beautiful, and ought to be in every plan- 
tation. Hawthorn hedges are much used in Eng- 
land, where they look very handsome when kept 
clipped ; but they do not answer so well in this 
country, the heat of our summers causing the leaves 
to fall off early, often in July ; on that account they 
are not much used. We have several things which 
are better calculated for that purpose. 

Cydonia Japonica, or Pyims Japonica, a very beau- 
tiful scarlet flowering shrub, from Japan, has not 
been in cultivation here for many years. It is found 
to be very hardy, resisting our most severe frosts ; 
it is ever-green, flowers very early, and continues a 
long time. A second flowering takes place in the 
latter part of the summer. It is every way a desir- 
able shrub. Daphne mazerium, one of our most 
early flowering shrubs, often flowering in February, 
and very sweet scented. It is rather tender in some 
situations, but will stand our ordinary wmters very 
well in a sheltered situation. 

Virca palustris, or Leather wood, a pretty little 
shrub, growing very regular in shape, and has tlie 
appearance of a large tree in miniature ; it is a na- 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 137 

live of our northern states, the flowers appear very 
early, are yellow, and come out before the leaves. 

Gymnocladus canadensis, or Kentucky Cofiee tree. 
The berries have a resemblance to coffee, and are 
said to be used for this purpose ; however, it is a 
beautiful tree, with handsome teat leered leaves, and 
makes a fine contrast with others. It should be 
planted in the back or centre of the plantation, and 
is very hardy. 

Halesia diptera, and Ilalsea tetraptera, two winged 
and four winged Silver Bell, or snow-drop tree. 
They are botir natives of the southern states, but 
are perfectly hardy here ; our most severe winters 
do not hurt them. The former kind flowers a month 
later than the latler kind, which flowers early in 
May. They are both elegant shrubs. 

Hibiscus Sxjviacus.fi.pleno I'he double flowering 
althea fnUex, of whicli there are several varieties, 
the double white, double red, double red and white, 
and striped, are the most showy; they commence 
their flowering late in July, and continue till fall, 
coming in at a very acceptable lime. The single 
kind?, of which there are many varieties, are scarce 
worth culli^^ating, the double ones being raised quite 
as well, and are equally hardy. These are indis- 
pensable in every plantation. 

Hypericum frutescens, shrubby hypericum. There 
are several species of this small beautiful shrub, all 
natives of the southern states, but perfectly hardy 
here. They all flower in the greatest profusion, 
and continue for a long season. They should be 
planted in the front row. 

Kerria Japonica, or Corchorus Japonica, yellow Ja- 
pan Globe flower ; although a native of Japan, like 
many other Japan flowers, it is perfectly hardy here. 
It flow^ers in the greatest profusion at all times, ex- 



138 ELOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 

eept in the very dead of winter, and will grow almost 
in any soil or situation. 

Kodreuteria pankulata, Japan bladder tree, or 
Koelreterius. This is another hardy shrub from Ja- 
pan. It has long racemes of flowers, succeeded by 
bladder-like fruit, and is worthy of cultivation in 
every good collection. 

Ligustrum vulgarcy virens. Large European Pri- 
vit, a very handsome evergreen shrub, flowering in 
great profusion, and succeeded by bunches of black 
round berries. It bears clipping well, and is there- 
fore well calculated for hedges, or to enclose orna- 
mental plantations. It grows quick, and is well 
adapted to our climate, and when planted in a hedge 
row, and kept clipped, it makes a beautiful hedge, 
and ought to be in more general use. 

Philadelphus coronarius, or common syringo, is ve- 
ry ornamental, producing its sweet scented flowers 
early, and in abundance, and also sweet scented Phil- 
adelphus inodorous, and P. grandiflorus, Garland Sy- 
ringo, both natives of the southern states, but quite 
hardy here. The flowers are large, and they keep 
their flowering for several months in wreaths or 
garlands ; it is well calculated for the centre row, 
and also to hide unsighily objects. It has a beau- 
tiful effect when mixed with monthly honey-suc- 
kle, &c. 

Persica, or Amygdalus Persica, fl. rosea pleno. — 
The double flowering Peach is very beautiful in 
shrubberies. It sometimes bears fruit, but it is cul- 
tivated entirely for its beautiful blossoms. A few 
trees also of the Chinese double flowering Apple, 
Pyrus.spectabilis, have also a beautiful effect for the 
same purpose. 

Rhus cotinus, Venetian sumach, Aaron's beard, 
sometimes called fringe tree, is a fine shrub, calcu- 
lated for the centre of the clump or shrubbery. Its 



FLOWERING AND OIINAMENTAL SHRUBS. 139 

large branches of fringe remaining all summer, give 
it a curious and striking effect. 

Ribes Missouriensis, or Missouri currant ; there 
are two species of this very ornamental shrub from 
Missouri, introduced by Lewis and Clarke ; they 
are quite hardy, and flower in great profusion. 

Robinia glut'tnosa, and Robina hispida, the former 
a pretty large shrul3, with large bunches of flowers 
in great abundance, the other a smaller shrub ; they 
are both of them worthy of a place in all large col- 
lections. 

Sorbus aucuparia. Mountain ash, or Roan tree. — 
This is a very beautiful shrub of the larger size ; the 
leaves are ornamental ; the flowers and fruit, which 
are produced in large bunches, are beautiful ; the 
fruit remains till late in the autumn ; it is a native 
of Europe. 

Sorbiis Canadensis. This is a native of our north- 
ern frontiers and mountains ; it does not grow as 
large as the former ; the berries are smaller and 
red, the former larger and of an orange colour, but 
otherw'ise much resemble it. 

Spartiiim junceimi, and Genista, two or three spe- 
cies of broom, with bunches of yellow flow^ers in 
very great profusion ; the Genista or Spanish broom 
has white flowers, is also very pretty, but not quite 
so hardy as the former. 

Symphoria racemosa, or snow-berry, sometimes 
called snow-apple, a pretty little shrub ; the bunches 
of wax-like white berries which it produces during 
the whole summer, give it a beautiful appearance. 

Syringa vulgaris, or common Lilac, is well known, 
to all, and needs no comment. The white variety 
not quite so common — they are only fit for outside 
plantings, as they sucker very freely, and soon, 
make themselves common. 
13 



140 FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 

Syringa Per ska, or Persian lilac, is a delicate 
low shrub the flowers very abundant, and the leaves 
small and delicate. There are two varieties of the 
Persian lilac ; the white flowering, and the blue or 
purple flowering. 

The Chinese cut leaved lilac is very curious ; the 
leaves are cut like Parsley, the flowers growing in 
longer racemes than the former. Siberian, or large 
Persian lilac. The bunches of flowers are very 
large, and continue in season a long time after the 
common lilac. 

Rosa, or roses, a pretty numerous variety of 
them ; some reckon five or six hundred kinds. They 
are accounted the most beautiful of Flora's produc- 
tions. Perhaps a very handsome collection might 
be made of about 50 of the best sorts, Avhich, by 
taking said quantity, I suppose might be obtained 
at about 50 cents each under name ; and generally 
a fine collection un-named at half that amount. No 
good garden or shrubbery can be without them. 

Tamarix Galica, or French tamarix, and the 
Tamarix Germanica, German tamarix, are two pret- 
ty shrubs, the leaves and branches are small and 
slender, producing quantities of beautiful flowers, 
and form a very striking contrast to the other part 
of the shrubbery. 

Viburnum opulus, or Guilder rose, otherwise call- 
ed Snow-ball, is a very showy shrub, with large 
balls of snow white flowers in the greatest profu- 
sion ; and is indispensably necessary to every shrub- 
bery. 

Vitex agnus castus, or Chaste tree, a pretty and 
singular shrub, flowering the most part of the sum- 
liier. 

Bignonia radicans, or trumpet creeper, with 
bunches of red trumpet flowers, large and showy. 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 141 

Bignonia grandijiora, much like the former in ha- 
bit and appearance, but the flowers are much larg- 
er. It is said to be a native of China, and the for- 
mer a native of this country. They are both per- 
fectly hardy, and will cUmb up brick work or wood- 
en fences without any assistance. 

Clematis, or Virgin's Bower. There are several 
species, some of them tender, or not sufficiently 
hardy for our severe winters without protection. 
The Clematis Virginica, Viorna, Fiticella, and Vital- 
ba, are perfectly hardy. Glycine Sinensis, or Wis- 
taria Sinensis, is a handsome China creeper of re- 
cent introduction from China, and is not yet com- 
mon in our nurseries. It is a beautiful vine, run- 
ning to a great height, and loaded with long ra- 
cemes of purple flowers, and is highly spoken of in 
the Gardener's Magazine. 

American glycine frutescens, or Wistaria frutescens. 
This beautiful brother of the Chinese kind, is a na- 
tive of our Southern states, grows much in the 
same way as the other, and perhaps not inferior. 
Although this fine creeper has been long known in 
England, we have not heard much about it by En- 
glish writers ; the conclusion seems to be that it 
does not flower well in England. In fact, none of 
our southern plants do well in England, while those 
from China do very well — here however, it is quite 
the reverse. I have the Chinese Wistaria Sinenses 
from 15 to 20 feet long, and the American Wistaria 
about the same height. The Chinese does not look 
so vigorous and green as his American brother — 
The American Wistaria should be planted in every 
garden with other creepers, or run up the trees in 
shrubberies, according to its natural disposition. 

Lonicera, comprehending all the fine sweet scen- 
ted honeysuckles ; of the Itahan kinds, the month- 
ly honeysuckle is decidedly superior, continuing to 



142 FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUFS. 

flower all through the summer, until late in the 
fall, and very fragrant. Some of the other Euro- 
pean kinds may be occasionally mtroduced in large 
shrubberies — two or three American kinds deserve 
particular notice. 

Lonicera semper virenSf or Coral trumpet monthly 
honeysuckle, is extremely beautiful, flowering du- 
ring the whole of the summer, with its thousands of 
scarlet bunches. It is, however, destitute of scent, 
Lonicera Fraseri, also an American ; tlie flowers 
are like the other kind in almost every particular, 
except colour, this being a bright yellow. 

Lonicera pubescens, or Caprifolium pubescenSj a large 
and beautiful honeysuckle from the North-west 
coast ; the flowers are larger and of a bright copper 
color, inchning to orange — they are all perfectly 
hardy. 

Lonicerajlexuosa. — Chinese honeysuckle of late 
introduction ; it is perfectly hardy, withstanding our 
most severe frosts without the least injury ; it is a 
very sweet scented honeysuckle, grows rapidly, and 
to an immense height. It flowers in pairs and threes 
all up the branches, covering the whole plant com- 
pletely with flowers. It blossoms spring and fall, 
and is a very valuable acquisition to our gardens 
and shrubberies. 

Lonicera Japonica^ or Japan honeysuckle. This 
bears flowers in great profusion, which are white^ 
afterwards becoming of a light yellow. This is not 
so hardy as the former, and requires a little protec- 
tion in winter. 

I shall only add to the above the running kinds 
of roses, although there are manyother things which 
might be mentioned. 

Rosa multijiorai from China, is pretty well known., 
producing thousands of small double red roses in 
bunches. It requires a sheltered situation from sonoe 



FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 143 

of our keen northwesters. R. multijiora alba, from 
the same country, is of late importation, but as it 
increases readily, may be obtained at about the 
same price as the former ; the bunches of flowers 
are white. Rosa Grwellis, a running rose also from 
China, the flowers of various colours. Rosa rubi- 
folia, Raspberry leaved rose, from our northern fron- 
tiers, and extending over the western country ; al- 
though a single flowering rose, it produces large 
bunches of flowers, which are different coloured, 
on the same bunch, exactly like the former China 
kind, and is another instance of the similarity of 
plants, natives of China and our country. 

Rosa caninaji. pleno. English double dog rose, 
is a very pretty little double rose, and will run to a 
great height. Rosa Bansii, Lady Banks' double 
white China running rose. It runs up, and spreads 
much — it may be easily known from others of the 
running roses, by its being entirely destitute of 
prickles. Rosa J^oisette, and Champnexfs, are said 
to have been raised from China seeds in Carohna 
— they are not strictly running roses, but as they 
grow up tall, are fine ornaments for the shubbery, 
flowering during tl)e whole of the summer and fall 
in large clusters. The Madeira rose, or double white 
cluster, musk—\t also flowers all through the sum- 
mer and fall months, and is therefore well adapted 
for the shrubbery. Rosa Cherokensis, called the 
non-descript, or Georgia rose — the flowers are very 
large and white, the centre yellow. This is a run- 
ning rose, growing very high around trees, &c. 

Rosa rubiginosa, or sweet briar, is too well known 
to need description. 

Deciduous shrubs may be planted at any time 
after they lose their leaves, and before the buds be- 
gin to expand in the spring, provided the ground 
can be brought into good condition to receive them; 
13* 



144 MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS, 

the holes should be dug capacious enough to hold 
the roots without cramping them, arid some earth, 
^vell pulverized must be thrown equally among the 
fibres of the roots, which should be well shaken and 
trodden down around the plants, until brought to 
ike level required. Evergreens should be removed 
carefully with a ball of earth connected with their 
roots, and some good mould should be provided to 
fill in with. 

DIRECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF 
GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 

Having already prepared suflicient matter for a 
book of double the size of the former edition, I am 
compelled to be brief in my observations on such 
ornamental plants as are generally cultivated in hot 
and green-houses. This descr.ption of plants em- 
braces those which are collected from various cli- 
mates, and thrive best in a temperature and soil si- 
milar to that in which nature first produced them : 
hence they who propagate exotic plants, must pro- 
vide suitable composts, and also separate depart- 
ments, where the different degrees of heat may be 
kept up, according to their nature and description, 
Bome of these are raised from seed sown in the 
spring, others by layers, suckers, iind offsets de- 
tached from the old plants, and many by slips and 
cuttings planted at different seasons of the year, ac- 
OCHkding to the varied natures and state of the plants. 
Many kinds require the aid of glass coverings and 
bottom heat, created by fresh horse dung, tan, &c. 

Were I to attempt to give directions for the pro- 
pagation of all the varieties of useful and ornamen- 
tal exotic plants cultivated in various parts of oui; 
country, it would require an entire volume. The 
catalogue of green-house plants alone kept by the 



MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 145 

enterpriziag proprietor of the Linnean Botanic Gar- 
den at Flushing, occupies fifiv pages of close mat- 
ter ; it would therefore be impossible to do justice 
to the subject, without dividing upwards of two 
thousand varieties of plants into classes, according 
to their varied natures, and treating of them under 
distinct heads ; I sliall therefore not attempt, in this 
edition, to write largely on the subject. 

In order to render this little work useful to those 
who may wish to avail themselves of the pleasure 
of nursing some of those beauties of nature in their 
own dwelling houses, during the most chilling days 
of our severe winters, and to afibrd amusement to 
the ladies, at a season when our gardens are de- 
prived of their loveliest charms, 1 shall discuss some 
essential points connected with the management of 
green-house plants, in as explicit a manner as pos- 
sible. 

The follcfwing hints were selected for the first 
edition of this work, and appear to the author to 
embrace the most import,! nt points connected with 
the care of plants in the winter season. 

The generality of those denominated green-house 
plants, and which are ke^ i in rooms, should be plac- 
ed where chey can have the light of the sun, with- 
out heing exposed to frost. Air, heat, and moisture 
are essential to the growth of plants, but these 
should be given in due propniuons, according to 
circumstances. In frosty weather they should be 
kept from the external air, and watered very spar- 
ingly. When water is necessary, it should be ap- 
plied in the morning of a mild sunny day. The 
plants should be kept free from decayed leaves, and 
the earth at the tops of tlie pois should be some- 
times loosened to a moderate depth, and replenished 
with a portion of fresh compost. Plants kept in 
private houses are often killed with kindness. The 



146 MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-IIOUSE PLANTS. 

iemperature of a room in the winter need not be 
more than ten degrees above freezing. If plants 
are healthy, they mny be kept so by attention to the 
preceding hints , unhealthiness generally arises 
from their being subjected to the extremes of heat, 
cold, or moisture, or from total neglect. 

In order that the ideas above advanced may be 
duly considered, it may be useful to indulge in a 
more minute description of the nature of plants, and 
to show in what manner the elements operate upon 
them. It is an acknowledged fact, that the roots 
of plants require moisture, and therefore penetrate 
the earth in search of it, and th »t the plants them- 
selves are greatly nourished by air, and spread their 
branches and leaves to catch as much as possible its 
enlivening influence. Light also is so far essential, 
that there can be no colour without it ; witness the 
blanching of celery and endive, where the parts de- 
prived of light become white ; place a plant in al- 
most any situation, it will invariably show a ten- 
dency to turn to the light ; the sun-fiower is a strik- 
ing example of this singular fact. As the leaves 
supply the plant with air, and the fibres of the roots 
supply it with nourishment, to strip off the leaves, 
or destroy the fibres, is to deprive it of part of its 
means of support. Having shown that air and 
water are essential to vegetation, and light to its 
colour, experience shows us that heat, in a greater 
or less degree, is not less necessary to the growth 
©f plants; it is therefore requisite, that in taking 
plants into our rooms, we should attend to these 
particulars. 

The internal structure of plants is composed of 
minute and imperceptible pores, w hich serve the 
same important purpose in the vegetable as veins 
in the animal system ; they convey the circulation 
of the sap in the former, v.s the veins do that of the 



MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 14T 

blood in the latter ; but it is by no means settled a? 
yet by physiologists how the food of plants is taken 
up into the system and converted into their consti- 
tuent parts. 

From the foregoing considerations and facts, it is 
evident, that, as air, heat, and moisture are each es- 
sential 1 o vegetation, that water should only be given 
in proportion as heat and air are attainable. In the 
summer season green-house plants may be exposed, 
to the open air, from the early part of May, until 
the end of September, by being placed on the 
ledges of windows, or on a stand erected for the pur- 
pose, or in the absence of a nursery bed of flower- 
ing plants, they may be introduced into the regu- 
lar flower beds, to supply the place of such plants as 
may wither and die in course of the summer, by 
being turned out of the pots and planted, or plung- 
ed in the earth with the pots. 

In the heat of the summer season, plants gene- 
rally require water every evening, and in the ab- 
sence of dews, the earth about their roots may some- 
times need a little early in the morning ; but expe- 
rience shews, that the roots of plants more frequent- 
ly get injured from being soddened in water, than 
from being kept moderately dry. Having before 
intimated that exotic plants will generally thrive 
best in a temperature and soil similar to that in 
Avhich nature first produced ihem, it may be neces- 
sary to remind the reader, that we have the means 
of attaining suitable composts from our own soils, 
and from sand, decayed leaves, rotten dung, and 
various kinds of peat, bog, and rock mould; these 
ingredients being judiciously mixed and prepareda 
may be suited to all the various kinds of plants, and 
should be used as occasion requires. As the roots 
of plants make considerable growth in the course 
of a summer, it will be necessary to examine them 



148 MANAGEMENT OP GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS- 

by turning them out of the pots, this may be done 
early in September, at which time all matted and 
decayed roots should be pared off, and the plants 
shifted into larger pots which being filled with suit- 
able compost, :nid watered, will be ready to be re- 
moved into the house on the approach of cold nights, 
which is generally early in Ociober. 

Green-house plants require an annual pruning, 
and should be occasionally headed down, in order 
that their size and appearance may be improved ; 
the best time for doing this is soon after they have 
done flowering, and while they are in a growing 
state. Having endeavoured to furnish my readers 
with the artificial means of preserving tender plants 
in a climate foreign to that which nature has 
provided for them ; I shall call their attention to 
another class of plants well calculated for the win- 
dows of a house. 

I allude to the many beautiful varieties of the 
Chinese Chrysanthemum; these are frequently 
cultivated in pots, and maybe taken from the ground 
and put into pots even when in full flower without 
injury, and when the bloom is over, returned to the 
ganJen ; and in the spring following, they will throw 
up an abundance of suckers. 

The following list taken from Mr. Prince's cata- 
logue, consists of some of the best varieties of the 
Chrysanthemum, and are entitled to a place in eve- 
ry flower garden. In October and November, when 
the waning year has left our gardens comparative- 
ly cheerless, these with their various colours, deck 
them out in gaiety, and prolong the semblance of 
summer. They are perfectly hardy and will brave 
our severest winters. 



MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 149 



Chrysanthemum sinense. 



1 White quilled 

2 Pale buff, or orange 

3 Changeable, red and orange 
flower on the same plant. 

4 Purple 

5 Lilac quilled 

6 Rose coloured, or pink 

7 Lilac and white, changeable ; 
the flowers vary to lilac, to 
white with a purple centre, and 
to pure white. 

8 Dark crimson, or Spanish 
brown 

9 Straw coloured quilled 

10 Golden yellow 

1 1 Tasselled white 

12 Superb do. 

13 Semidouble quilled do. 

14 Paper do. 

15 Cluilled flame yellow 

16 Sulphur do. 

1 7 Superb clustered do. 

18 Small do. 

19 Single flame yellow 

20 Gtuilled pink 

21 Semidouble quilled do. 

22 Gluilled orange 

23 Semidouble quilled do. 

24 Early crimson 

25 Curled lilac 



26 Cluilled hght purple 

27 Expanded do. do. 

28 auiUed yejlow 

29 Double Indian yellow, superb 

30 Double Indian white, superb 

31 Brown purple 

32 Early blush 

33 Golden lotus 

34 Q^uilled purple 

35 Starry purple 

36 Park's sn.all yellow, beavti- 
fid 

37 Cluilled salmon 

38 Semidouble quilled pale o- 
range 

39 Two coloured red 

40 Curled buff, or salmon 

41 Large lilac 

42 Late pale purple 

43 f'vvo coloured incurved 

44 Blush ranunculus 

45 Late quilled purple 

46 Tasselled hlac 

47 Tasselled yellow 

48 Yellow waratah 

49 Pale lilac 

50 Large buff, superb 

51 Barclay's 

52 Alton's 

53 Sabine's 



Chrysanthemums may be propagated from seed 
and cuttings, and each plant will produce several 
suckers, which may be separated every spring ; as 
the flowers are liable to be injured by the rain in 
autumn, it is advisable to take up a few plants and 
place them in a light room or green-house, which 
will preserve them for some time. 

Many people keep their late blooming plants in 
the house through the winter ; this is a bad prac- 
tice, as the heat and want of air will exhaust or de- 
stroy the plants altogether. If the flowers fade be^ 
fore hard frost prevails, it is best either to plunge 
the pots into the ground with the plants, or turn 



loO MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 

them out of the pots, and plant them with the balls 
of earth entire into the borders of the flower garden. 
Early in May, such as may be intended for potting 
the ensuing season, should be divided at the roots^ 
if not potted, and planted, each kind separate. One 
single stem is sufficient for a moderate sized pot, if 
the object be to have bushy plants ; but if showy 
plants are desired, one of each of the varied colours 
may be selected for each pot, which should be suffi- 
ciently capacious to hold them without crowding 
them, as this will cause the plants to grow weak and 
slender. If this happens early in the summer, a 
vstocky growth may be promoted by clipping the 
tops, and they will bloom in great perfection at the 
usual season. 



CALENDAR AND INDEX, 



The object of this Calendar, is to assist tlie memoi<^ 
of the gardener, and to show him, at one glance, that 
he may find employment in some of the departments of 
gardening in every month of the year. The figures 
refer to the pages in which further directions may Ire 
found, relative to the operations adverted to. 

JANUARY. 

It is customary at this season of the year, with alJ 
prudent men, to look around them, and endeavour to as^ 
certain the results of their industry throughout the past 
year, in order to make improveti arrangements for the 
iaturo. The mere gardener, having no complicated 
accounts to adjust, may occupy his time to valuable pur- 
poses. If he be not a book-reader, he should be a 
book-keeper, (see page 2,) and he should frequently take 
a survey of his former practices and those of his acquain- 
tance, with a view to improve on every thing he lias 
done, or seen done. If h(^ consult writers on Horticul- 
ture, he should do as the author has endeavoured to do 
in preparing this little work for the press ; not adopt 
the mere theory of a subject, nor indulge in speculativ^e 
ideas, nor even tread in the steps of others, bnt endea- 
vour to erect his edifice of knowledge upon a good 
settled foundation. In all his pursuits, whether he at- 
tempts to follow the example of practical and exempli- 
fy men, hear lectures, or consult any authors on the 
subject, ho should do as every sensible mm does at his 
daily meals, take that which suits him best, and leave 
the residue for others. If this little work should he 
14 



152 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

considered worth an annual p(Tusal, he may read the 
general remarks in this month, (JHnuary,) and make a 
memorandum of such things as may be obtained at a 
leisure time, in preference to diiving it off till it is want- 
ed. I shall endeavour to make my Calendar serve as 
an index to the book, and in pursuit of my object, shall 
begin at page 1 of the general remarks, wliich suggests, 
that if a man has a garden to iorm, he will require fenc- 
ing materials, if these should be already at hand, every 
gardener should provide manures, i/igredients for the 
destruction of insects, drilling machines and other tools, 
poles or rods for the support of such Beans, Peas, or oth- 
er climbing plants which he may intend to cultivate ; and 
if he intend to use hot beds, or forcing frames, he should 
make arrangements to get compost and heating materi- 
als, in time for the work to be performed in the next 
month. If he depends on this book for information, 
he may read the general remarks from page 1 to 10, 
and also page 86, on Forcing Vegetables. 

FEBRUARY. 

Although stern winter with its ire bound chains, 
exerts its influence over the soil, the gardener may 
find employment preparatory to commencing his opera- 
tions of ploughing and planting, as the year progresses. 
Perhaps the most important business at this season, is to 
collect plenty of manure ; next to this, the gardener, 
who intends to raise early plants for forcing or other- 
wise, should see that his hot bed frames are in good re- 
pair and ready for use ; he should also repair his sashes, 
and make strau mats to cover them with. In prepar- 
ing dung or other heating materials for hot beds, or 
forcing pits, let it be kept secure from heavy falls of 
snow or rain, and frequently turned over preparatory to 
its being made into a bed. With a view to gi\e all at- 
tention to culture as the season advances, the gardener 
should look over his hardy fruit trees, and h^rdy vines, 
and commence pruning them, by cutting out all dead 
and superfluous branches ; he may also clean trees from 



CALENDAR AND INDEX. 153 

uioss and canker, and search for the nests of insects, 
with a view to destroy them while in a toipid state, to 
prevent their spreading. If he has trellises, or any im- 
plements of husbandry out of repair, he should embrace 
the most favorable opportunities of putting them in 
good condition, and of repairing his fences, &c. 

Previous to making: hot beds, select a situation that 
is well protected by a close fence or wall, and not in 
any way connected with any building calculated to har- 
bour rats, mice, moles, &c., which are very apt to take 
up their abode in warm dung, to the great injury and 
sometimes destruction of the beds, ft is necessary that 
the foundation for the beds be drily situated, and not 
liable to be inundated with water from melting snow, 
&c. When all is prepared as directed, page 85 to 89, 
» begin to sow Cabbage, Egg-plant, Lettuce, and Tomato 
seed, 85 ; force Asparagus, 90 ; Kidney Beans, 92 ; 
Cucumbers, 94 ; plant Peas, 99 ; Potatoes, 100 ; sow 
Radish seed, 101. In cold beds well protected, plant 
Broad Beans, 20 and 92 ; sow Cabbage seed, 31. 

After the seeds are sown, the beds will require con- 
stant attention ; cover up well in cold nights, and give 
air at all opportunities, taking care to regulate the heat 
in the beds, as directed under the different heads, from 
page 85 to 100. If the heat be excessive, it must be 
decreased as directed, page 89, and if it should become 
necessary to let off steam in cold weather, care must be 
taken to cover the apertures sufficiently to keep out 
frosty air. 

MARCH. 

This month affords considerable employment to an 
industrious gardener. Manure may be drawn on the 
ground, and distributed in heaps, ready to sptead, see 
page 9 ; and the hot beds and forcing frames will re- 
quire constant attention. Cover up warm in cold nights, 
and give additional air as th^ season progresses, to pre- 
vent the plants growing weak, taking care to regulate 
the heat as directed fyr the different kinds of vegetables. 



154 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

If any additional frames are to be put down tliis mjntfij 
cither for forcing or forwarding vegetables, they should 
be attended to in time as directed. 

In order to aftbrd time for cultivating the soil as the 
weather moderates, the gardener should proceed with 
his basiness of pruning and cleaning fruic tree?, shrubs, 
&c. at all opportunities ; and if any removal be neces* 
sary, or fresh trees, shrubs, vines, &c. are required, 
these things should be obtained - nd planted this month 
if possible. Begin the work of the kitciien garden as 
soon as the earth can be brought into good condition, 
and transplant hardy Lettuce plants, 45 ; dress Arti- 
choke beds, 14; Asparagus, J8; Rhubarb, 60; Sea- 
Kale, 64; and prepare to make new plantations of 
these vegetables. Plant Broad Beans, 19 and 92 ; 
Beet seed, 24 ; plant Cauliflower, plants under hand- 
glasses, 29 and 93; sow Cabbage seed, 31 and 85 ; 
Carrot, 34 ; Celery, 35 ; plant Chives, 38 ; Cucuni'- 
ber, 94 ; sow Egg plant seed, 41 ; Garden Burnet, 43 j 
Leek, 44 ; Lettuce, 45; plant Melon seed, 98 ; sow O nion j 
49 ; Parsley and Parsnip, 51 ; Pepper, 52 ; plant Peas, 
53; Potatoes, 100; sow Radish seed, 57; plant Ro- 
cambole, 58 ; Rhubarb, 59; Salsify, 6l ; Scorzonera, 
62 ; Sea-Kale, 63 ; Skirret, 66 ; sow Spinach seedj 
67; Tomato, 69 and 85 ; Turnip seed, 70 ; prepare to 
make Hop plantations, 73 ; Horseradish, 78 ; Herbs, 
79. Plant esculents for seed, beginning with the har- 
diest kinds; raise up and plant Cabbage stumps, &c., 
to produce greens early for the table. Towards the 
end of the month, the covering may be taken from har- 
dv flowering plants, and the beds aud borders dressed, 
at the same time, clip edgings, of box, &c. ; clean, re- 
lay, or make new gravel walks, 112 ; prune and trans- 
plant flowering shrubs and hardy herbaceous plants, and 
sow flower seeds of the hardy kinds, ll6 ; attend to and 
turn over compost heaps. 

APRIL. 

This is the most important month in the year for 
:^a.rden operations. Finish as early as possible the 



CALENDAR AND INDEX. 155 

planting of esculents for seed, and see thai all plants 
of the same genus are remote from each other, or they 
will adulterate. All the soil of a garden should be dug 
or ploughed this month if possible, and some of the early 
crops sown last month will require hoeing and weeding. 

If not done last month, make plantations of Arti- 
chokes, 11; Asparagus, 15; Be'^nsj vicia faha, 19; 
towards the end of the month, plant Beans, Phaseolus^ 
22 and 23 ; plant Beet seed, 24 ; sow late kinds of 
Broccoli seed, 27 ; seed ol Cabbage tor summer use, 
31 ; Cardoon, 34; plant Carrot and Celery, 35; Cher- 
vil and Chives, 38 ; sow Cress seed, 39 ; plant Cu- 
cumber, 97 ; sow Endive, 42 ; Garden Burnet, 43 ; 
plant Indian Corn, 43 ; sow Leek and Lettuce seed, 44 ; 
plant Melon, 98 ; sow Mustard seed, 48 ; plant Nas- 
turtium, 48 ; sow Onion seed, 49 ; Parsley and Pars- 
nip, 51 ; plant Peas, 53; Potatoes, 55 ; Sweet Pota- 
toes and Pumpkins, 56 ; Patience Dock, 57 ; sow Rad- 
ish seed, 57; plant Rocambole, 58; Rhubarb, 59; 
Salsafy, 61 ; Scorzonera, 62 ; Sea-Kale, 63 ; sow Sor- 
rel and Skirret, &6 ; Spinach, 67 ; plant Squash, 68 ; 
sow Turnip seed for summer use, 70; Navet, or French 
Turnip, variety esculenta^ 33 ; make Hop plantations, 
7S ; Horseradish, 78 ; Herbs, 79. 

Besides the work of sowing and planting the various 
kinds of seeds above enumerated, all the strongest 
plants of Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce, must be 
taken from the hot beds and frames, and transplanted 
into the regular beds in the open garden. All kinds of 
flower seeds, except the very tender annuals, may be 
sown this montli, ll6and 120, and the hardiest green- 
bouse plants may be exposed to the open air in mild 
weather. Attend to such other business in this depart- 
ment as was left undone last month, 112, and see that 
the garden be kept neat and free from weeds. Finish 
planting fruit trees, and attend to the Strawberry beds, 
&c. 

14* 



156 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

MAY. 

As the warm weather progresses, the gardener should 
be on the alert, in order to conquer the various kinds ot" 
insects. Burn damp litter, stubble, leaves, weeds, &c. 
near fruit trees, and sow ashes over the ground. Attend 
to plantations of Cabbp.gos, Cauliflower, &c. ; hoe them 
frequently, and draw earth up to their stems ; look out 
for and destroy grub-worms, caterpillars, and other in- 
sects, 8 ; weed and thin the early plantings of Beets, 
Carrots, Parsnips, Salsify. &c., and destroy weeds, to 
•|)revent their seeding in the ground. Plant and sow 
such kinds of seeds as were omitted last month, and 
transplant Cabbages, Egg-plants, Lettuce, Tomatoes, 
&c. from the hot beds and warm borders. Plant Beans, 
22 and 23 ; Beet, 24 ; sow Borecole and Brussels 
Sprout seed, 25 ; Broccoli, 27 and 28 ; Cauliflower, 30 ; 
Cabbage seed, 32; Carrot, 34; Cress, 39 ; plant Cu- 
cumbers, 40 ; sow Endive seed, 42 ; plant Indian Corn, 
43 ; Melon, 46; Water Melon, 47; sow Mustard seed, 
48 ; plant Nasturtiums, 4S ; Okra, 49 ; Pepper, 52 ; 
plant Peas, 54; Potatoes, 55; Potato, sweet, 56; 
Pumpkins, 56; sow Radish seed, 57; Sorrel, 66; 
plant New Zealand Spinach,^ 68 ; Squash and Tomato, 
69. In the early part of this month, finish sowing all 
kinds of Aromatic, Pot, Sweet,, and Medicinal Herbs, 
79 and 81. Some of the old hot beds may be spawned 
for Mushrooms, but it is best to form new ones. Un- 
cover productive beds once a week, and gather the pro- 
duce ; clear them of vveeds and wet litter, and put a lit- 
tle dry hay or straw next- the bed. Prepare fresh 
spawn, &c., 103 to 109 ; sow all kinds of Flower seeds 
in the early part of the month, ll6 and 120; mow 
lawns and grass walks, destroy weeds, remove decayed 
plants, suppoit tall flowering plants, 112; attend to 
green-house plants, and water them frequently. 

Grape vines and other choice trained fruits should bo 
attended to this month. Divest them of all useless and 
unhealthy shoots. If Apricot trees set too thick, the 
fruit should be thinned. 



CALENDAR AND INDEX. 157 



JUNE. 



The principal sowing seasons for general crops may 
be considered as past, but there are noany kinds of seeds 
which may be sown this month; and the gardener should 
ascertain the success of his former plantings, in order to 
make up any deficiencies from failures, befovu tlie sea- 
son be too far advanced. By this time, i.omG of the 
eaily crops will be cleared off, asid sucii ground as was 
nianur(,'d for the early crops of Lettuce, Radislies, Spi- 
nach, &c., will be excellent for late Beets and Carrots. 
Hoe and thin out all standing crops, and clean vacant 
ground, to prevent weeds from running to seed. If the 
ground be dry, frequent hoeing will be beneficial. Use 
means to destroy insects ; read from page 4 to 10 for 
information on this subject. Plant Kidney Beans, 22 ; 
Beet seed, 24. If the seedling plants of Broccoli, Cau- 
liflower, Cabbage, &c. failed last month, sow dgain early 
this month. Water the beds frequently, and sow to- 
bacco dust, soot, ashes, &c., or use the liquid recom- 
mended, page 7- Transplant Cabbage, Celery, &c. 
for summe! use ; transplant Cardoons, 34 ; sow Carrot 
seed in drills, 34 ; plant Cucumber seed in hills, 40 ; 
sow Endive seed, 42 ; plant Indian Corn, 43 ; trans- 
plant Leeks, 44 ; plant Peas, soak them first five or six 
hours in water, 54 ; plant Potatoes, 55 ; Pumpkin seed, 
56 ; sow Black Radish seed, 58 ; sow Ruta Baga, 72. 
As the herbs come into flower, they should be cut on a 
dry day, and spread in a shady place to dry for winter 
use, 81. Conduct Hop vines to the poles, and when 
they have reached the top, nip off the tops, to strengthen 
the stems, 75. Give frequent watering to the Flower 
beds ; cut down dead flower stalks ; remove decayed 
plants, and rp place them with vigorous ones from the 
nursery bed, 112 ; transplant annual flower plants into 
the regular beds, and on the bulbous beds. 111 and 116. 
Trees on espaliers now require attention ; cut ofi' such 
superfluous shoots as are not required to be trained in, 
leaving well placed middle sized shoots, to supply the 
place of any old branches that may be thought neces- 



158 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

Sciry to cut away. Grapo vines should be looked over 
every week. Cut off all the tendrils and useless young 
shoots, and stop the shoots before the bunches of fruit. 
Train up the shoots for bearing next season, and to a 
proper length, before you stop them. 

JULY. 

This is a very important month for transplanting 
Cabbage Cardoon, Celery, Endive, Leek plants, &c. 
for full autumn crops. Prepare trenches for the Cele- 
ry plants before- hand, in 0''der that they may be ready 
to catch the rain. Leeks may be transplanted in dry 
weather by first steeping the roots in mud, and Cab- 
bage plants too, if there be the least damp in the ground 
when its fresh turned over. If Cardoons or Celery be 
planted in dry weather, the trenches must be shaded 
with boards. As grub worms aie generally numerous 
early in this month; plant with caution, try a few Cab- 
bage plants first, and if none are eaten off you may ven- 
ture to proceed, and by the middle of this month, the 
danger is generally over. 

If Beets and Carrots have failed, the seed may pro- 
duce good roots by autumn, if planted early in this 
month ; plant Beans, 22 ; Cabbage seed may be sown 
now for Collards, 33 ; plant Cucumber seed for pick- 
lers, 40; sow Endive seed, and transplant the former sow- 
ing, 42; if Peas be planted now, they should be soaked 
in soft water five or six hours previous, 54; Potatoes may 
be planted early in this month, 55; and Pumpkins if 
not done last month. Sow black Spanish Radish seed 
in drills, 58 ; Sow Turnip rooted Cabbage seed or iVa- 
vet, 33 ; This is a gOod season for Ruta Baga or Rus- 
sian Turnip, 73', and the common kinds of Turnip seed 
may be sown towards the end of this month, 70. Attend 
to plantations of Hops, 75 ; whatever herbs may be re- 
quired for winter use, should be cut off and dried as 
they come into flower, Burnet, Chervil, Fennel, Mint, 
Parsley, Sweet Marjorum, Tarragon, Thyme, Winter 
and Summer Savory, may all be cut this month. 



CALENDAR AND INDEX:. 159 

The flower garden should be kept weeded and wa- 
tered, and the seeds gathered as the}' ripen ; apply neat 
rods to the tall growing and running kinds of plants j 
such hardy bulbs as may require to be removed, may 
be taken up as the tops wither, after which, the offsets 
may be farted off, and both these and the parent bulbs 
dried, for planting in autumn, 128 ; Roll gravel walks 
and attend to thu lawns, edgings, &c., 112. Look over 
your fruit trees and grape vines ; stop the shoots be- 
fore the bunches of fruit, and train up siich shoots as are 
reserved for bearing next year. Mip off curled and 
dead leaves and destroy insects. 

AUGUST. 

The planting season being nearly over, now is the 
time to hoe around the plants and clear the ground of 
weeds and stubble. Dig or plough vacant ground rea- 
dy for fall Turnips, Spinach, Shallot, Fetticus, &c. As 
the ground for the latter crops may require manure, it 
will be greatly improved if ploughed before the manure 
is drawn on, which should be afterwards spread and 
ploughed under. 

Plant Beans for picklers, 22 ; sow Cabbage seed for 
Collards, 33 ; earth up Cardoons, 34 ; do. Celery, 37; 
sow Corn Salad or Fetticus seed, 39; ^he early kinds 
of Cucumber may produce picklers if planted early in 
this monili,41 ; transplant Endive and prepare to blanch 
the early plantings, 42 ; Peas may be planted thus late 
if desired, 54 ; sow black Radish seed, 58 ; prepare for 
planting Shallots by the end of the month, 67 ; sow 
Turnip seed for full crops, 71 ; attend to such herbs as 
were not gathered last month, cut off and dry Sage, and 
other late herbs. Hops ivill be ripe this month ; choose 
a dry season for gathering them and attend to them as 
directed, page 75 ; this is a good season for preparing 
to make Mushroom beds, in close sheds, cellars or pits ; 
if the materials be collected this month, indigenous 
spawn may be collected next, but those that can pro- 
cure spawn may make the beds at any time, or they 



160 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

may pursue Mr. Nichols* plan, 107; -continue to gath- 
er seeds of all kinds as they rij»cn and clear the ground 
ready for late crops of Spinach, &,c. 

If the weather be dry, such flowering shrubs as were 
planted in the spring should be watered occasionally. 
Cut down all decayed stalks as soon as the seed be 
gathered, and pull up annurds as they cease to flower. 
Mow grass walks and lawns, and attend to the edgings, 
4fcc. The Grapes against south walls will now be ma- 
turing fast ; look them over frequently, and stop the 
shoots that require it. If the weather be dry, trees 
planted in the spring preceding, should be watered, and 
such other trees as may be in very light ground. 

SEPTEMBER. 

Although the sowing season be nearly over, the crops 
on the ground require attention constantly. Endive 
may still be transplanted for winter use. Hoe Cab- 
bage and other vegetables, and attend to the earthing 
of Celery as it progresses in growth. Sow Cauliflower 
seed, 29 ; Cabbage, 31 ; Corn Salad or Fetticus, 39; 
Cress every ten days for a Salad ; sow Mustard, Rape, 
ifec. for the same purpose ; sow Lettuce seed, 44; Onion 
to stand the winter, 50 ; Radish seed for fall use, 58 ; 
plant Shallots, 67 ; sow Spinach seed every week or ten 
days, G8 ; Turnips will sometimes come to maturity if 
the seeds be sown the early part of this month. 

Continue to gather, dry and pack Hops as they ri- 
pen, 76 ; also all aromatic sweet and medicinal herbs, 
81 ; this is a good season to make Mushroom beds in 
sheltered situations ; they may be spawned with indige- 
nous or artificial spawn, as rnay be most convenient. 
For directions to preserve spawn, &c. see page 105. 

This is a good season to increase all kinds of herba- 
ceous plants by parting the roots; and the perennial and 
biennial flower plants, raised from seed, may be planted 
in the flower borders in cloudy or wet weather, 121 j 
flowering and evergreen shrubs may also be transplan- 
ted with care ; water them imniediately after planting., 



CALENDAR AND INDEX. 16\ 

Plantations of Strawberries may be made this month, 
either with runners or seedling plants. Protect your 
Grapes and other fruit from wasps and other insects; 
either decoy them with honey or sugared water, or hang 
nets over them; some are at the expense of having the 
bunches put into crape or paper bags. 

OCTOBER. 

The principal winter crops being planted, it will be 
necessary to prepare for maturing and gathering some 
of the fall crops. Weed out Ferticus, Spinach, &c. 
Hoe, and earth up Celery, do it in dry weather, and not 
even while the dew is on it, 37; Asparagus, Sea Kale 
Skirrel, and Dill seed may be sown this month. To* 
wards the end of the month, franses must be provided 
for the protection of Parsley, Lettuce, and of such Cab- 
bage and Cauliflower plant- as were raised from seed 
sown last month. Begin to dig and secure all kinds of 
vegetables soon enough to get the whole placed away 
before the end of the next month. Take up Potatoes 
and bury ihem in graves so as to secure ihem from wet 
and frost, or put them in a warm cellar. Proceed to 
take up other roots; begin with the tenderest kinds, 
or do that which is required to be done in dry weather 
while it is so. Collect Pumpkins and Winter Squash- 
es, and expose them to the sun and air on a dry bench, 
or ledge, before they are stowed away. Dig up Beets 
and secure them in graves, or pack them in sand in a 
cellar. 

Attend to the different kinds of herbs, 81; prune 
flowering shrubs, and make new plantations of them. 
Protect tender exotic plants in the early part of this 
month. Prune Gooseberry and Currant bushes, and 
make plantations of them, and Raspberries towaids the 
end of the month. 

All the old branches which produced fruit last sum- 
mer, may now be cut out of your Raspberry planta- 
tions. 

Prepare to plant all the hardy kinds of bulbous flow- 



.162 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 

er roots, and take up, and secure, Dahlias, Tuberoses, 
and other tender roots, &c. 

NOVEMBER. 

Endeavour to avoid having your garden products 
frozen fast in the ground. Begin in good earnest to 
secuie them; in fine weather dig up Beets, Carrots, and 
&s many Parsnips, Skirret and Salsafy roots as will be 
required for winter use, and j)ark them close together 
in graves ; give them a coat of straw, and afterwards 
heap on its much earth as will keep out the frost, or stow 
them in a cellar. Towards the end of the month Tur- 
nips may be secured in the same way. Take up Cel- 
ery in dry weather, and strike it in close together against 
a ridge which should be previously formed in a straight 
line about a foot above the level of the surface ; throw 
up earth from the trench sufficient to cover them about 
an inch, and then jilant row after row as close and up- 
right as it can be placed, with just sufficient earth be- 
tween every row to keep the roots and stalks from 
touching each other. The whole being covered up 
with earth, some long dung or litter may be thrown 
over it sufficient to keep out the frost, and by heaping 
a good layer of manure against the last row of Celery, 
it may be taken out at any time in the winter for use^ 
Some erect a board shed over to preserve it from wet, 
or a small qiuintity may be kept in a cellar. Cab- 
bages niust be taken up and laid in rows against a 
ridge, so as to form a square, compact, close growing' 
bed, the roots and stems being buried up to the lower 
leaves of the Cabbages. The beds may be afterwards 
covered witli straw, or a temporary shed may be erect- 
ed over them. Cabbages will keep for some months in 
a celhir, if connected with their roots. For the manage^ 
ment of Broccoli and Cauliflower, see pages 27 and 93. 
Borecole, Bsussels Sprouts, and Collards, may be ta- 
ken up and stowed away like Cabbages. CardoonS 
may be laid in like Celery, or preserved in sand in a 
cellar. L^eks may be taken up and laid in rows close 



CALENDAR AND INDEX 163 

together against a ridge, and covered up as far as the 
lower leaves. If the last row be protected fiom frost 
by a coat of stable dung, they cnn be taken out whea 
required for use. Corn Salad, Spinach, and Lettuce, 
may be protected by a covering of straw, salt hay, or 
cedar brush. For the management of Artichoke beds, 
see page 13; Asparagus, 17; Rhubarb, 60; Sea- 
Kale, 64. 

Cover up flower beds with leaves, straw, or light lit- 
ter. Plant Tulips, Hyacinths, and other bulbous flower 
roots, see page 123 to 130. Protect all tender plants. 
Hardy fr lit trees may be planted this month ; la}- long 
litter round the roots of them, and also of the grape 
vines and other tender plants, trees, shrubs, &c. 

DECEMBER. 

If all was not done as directed last month, there is 
now no time to be lost. Every thing t»iat needs pro- 
tection should now be attended to, and if the weather 
continues open, some of the ground may be ploughed 
or trenched, to receive the benefit of winter frosts. 
Collect all your pea sticks and bean poles together, and 
place them under cover to prevent their rottmg. Turn 
over compost heaps, and provide manure for another 
year. Attend to Mushroom beds, and cover up bulbous 
and other roots with leaves. or litter. All kinds of ten- 
der plants in pots should be set into frames or pits, and 
plunged in old tan or light mould, and in hard frosts, 
coverings of mats, straw, &c. may be laid over them. 

Collect from heaths and rocks such kinds of earth as 
are suitable fo/ different sorts of exotic plants, and ga- 
ther leaves of trees of all sorts, and lay them in heaps. 
If you intend to make hot beds of them, they should be 
pm together dry; but if you intend them for compost, 
they may be laid together as wet as possible. Protect 
the stems of new planted trees. Cover with litter the 
roots of grape vines and figs against walls, and cover tho 
branches with mats, &c. Prune Apple, Pear, Quince, 
^nd Oilier hardv fruit trees ; cut .out rotten and decaving 
15 



164 

brandies. To destroy insects on the fruit trees, and 
prevent them from creeping up and breeding on them, 
do as follows : 

Take a strong knife with a sharp point, and a sharp 
hook-like iron made for the purpose ; with these scrape 
clean off all the moss and outside rough bark, and with 
the knife pick out or cut away cankered parts of the 
bark and of the wood, in such a slanting manner that 
water cannot lodge in the sides of the stems of the trees. 
Having cleared the trees in this manner, make up a 
mixture of lime, soot and sulphur ; put these ingredients 
into a pot or tub, pour boiling water upon them, and 
with a stick stir and mix them well together. When 
this strong mixture becomes cold, and about the thick- 
ness of white-wash, take a brush, dip it in the mixture, 
and apply it to the stems and the large branches of the 
trees, dabbing it well into the hollow parts of the bark. 
The pruning of hardy fruit trees and hardy shrubs may 
be performed at all favourable opportunities through 
the winter. 



APPENDIX. 



'.ENERAI. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN 
AND ORCHARD. 

In my preHininary observations on the subjects I 
liave hitherto treated on, I am aware that it may appear 
to some, tiiat 1 have not sufficiently urged the importance 
of a judicious selectitn ofsituation, exposure, aspect, soil, 
&c. My object in not insisting on a strict attention to 
these important ooints was, because I know that, lhouo;h 
good land is abunaant in this extensive countr}-, it is 
impossible for every one to choose for himself; and 
rather than any disadvantages in these respects, should 
discourage proprietors of land from attempting to raise 
garden products, so necessary to the comfort and conve- 
nience of every family, I have endeavoured to show 
them how to use to advantage whatever land ma}^ sur- 
round their places of abode. As however some have a 
choice, it may be necessary to offer some further re- 
marks on the subject. 

The situation of an Orchard or Fruit Garden should 
be one that has the advantage of a free circulation of 
air, and is well exposed to the south, also to incline a 
little to the east, and south-west. When the situation 
is low and close, the trees are very liable to become 
mossy, which always injures them by closing up the 
pores of the wood ; they are also more liable to be af- 
16 



166 APPENDIX. 

fected by blight. Although hnving an Orchard closely 
pent up by trees, &.c. is injurious, nevertheless a screen 
of forest trees, at such a distant e from the fruit trees as 
that the latter will not be shaded by them, is of very 
great service in protecting the trees in spring from se- 
vere cold winds. A good strong loamy soil, not too re- 
tentive of moisture, to the de|)fti of thirty inches or three 
feet, is most suitable for an Orchard. Great attention 
must be paid to the substratum so that the ground is 
well drained, for if the top soil be ever so good and the 
bottom be wet, it is a very rare case to find that the 
trees will prosper for many years, before they begin to 
be diseased and go to decay. As it is so indispensably 
necessary to the success of fruit trees that the bottom be 
dry, if it be not naturally so, it must be made so, by 
judicious draining. 

When it is necessary to make the bottom dry by 
draining, it must be done for some time before the trees 
are to be planted. In performing th>s work, the ground 
must be trenched, and when the trencji is open, stones 
or brick bats, (fee. must be laid over the bottom to the 
thickness of six inches, a little coal ashes or small gra- 
vel must be sprinkled over the top of the stones, &c., 
and then the surface be gently rolled. Also drains may 
be made in different directions so that any excess of 
moisture can be taken entirely away from the ground. 

It is well known to most cultivators that exposure of 
soils to the atmosphere greatly imjiroves them, as is ex- 
perienced by ridging and trenching. Where the soil 
is stiff and stubborn, small gravel, sand, coal ashes, 
lime, light animal and vegetable manure, and other light 
composts are very appropriate substances to be appli- 
ed, and will if carefully and well worked into the ground 
soon bring it into a proper condition for most purposes. 

Previous to laying out an Orchard or Fruit Garden, 
the soil should be manured and pulverized to a great 
depth. The soil should be sweet, that the nutriment 
which the roots receive may be wholesome ; free, that 



APPENDIX. 167 

they may be at full liberty to range in quest of it ; and 
rich, that there may be no defect in food. 

If Orchards be made from meadows or pasture lands, 
the ground should be improved as much as possible by 
ma uring, trenching, ploughing, &,c. If this is not 
done to its full extent, it should be done in strips of at 
least six feet in width along where the fruit trees are 
to be planted, and at the time of planting, let the holes 
be dug somewhat larj^er than is sufficient to admit the 
roots in their natural position, and of sufficient depth 
to allow of a foot of rich and well pulverized mould to 
be thrown in before the trees are planted. In plant- 
ing fruit trees, ihey should be placed two or three in- 
ches deeper than they were in the nursery bed, and the 
earth intended for filling in, should be enriched and 
well pulverized by mixing in some good old manure, 
and if any leaves, decayed brush, rotten wood, potato 
lops, or other refuse of a farm be attainable, let such bt 
used around the trees in filling, taking care that the best 
pulverized mould be admitted among the fine roots. 
The trees in planting should be kept at ease and seve- 
ral times shaken, so as to cause an equal distribution of 
the finer particles of earth to be connected with the 
small fibres of the roots ; and when completely levelled, 
let the ground be well trodden down and moderately 
watered, which should be repeated occasionally after 
spring planting, if the weather should prove dry. 

As some difference of opinion exists among practical 
men as to the best time for planting fruit trees, the fol- 
lowing extrac from Mr. Prince's Treatise on Horticul- 
ture is submitted : 

" Seasons for transplanting — Spring is the season 
when we find the most pleasure in raaki g our rural 
improvements, and from this circumstance probably it 
has become the general season for planting trees, but 
experience has proved the Fall planting to be the most 
successful, especially in those parts of the United States 
which are subject to droughts, as the trees planted in 
autumn suffer little or none from drought when those 



168 APPENDIX. 

set out in Spring often perish in consequence of if., 
Notwithstanding, with regard to those fruits that have 
been originally brought from warmer climates, such as 
the Peach, Apricot, Nectarine, and Almond, which are 
natives of Persia, Armenia, &c., it is necessary for us 
to consult the operations of ch'mate also ; and, from a 
consideration of those attendant circumstances, I have 
come to the following conclusions. In Idealities south 
of New-York, the Fall season is preferable only for the 
Apple, Pt'^r, Plum, Cherry, Quince, and all other 
trees of '^orthern latitude; whereas the Spring is to b^ 
preferre- ' * he Peach, Apricot, Nectarine and AU 
mond, wnicn lor the reasons before stated, might, dur- 
ing severe winters, suffer from the intensity of the frosts^ 
Still I do not mean to assert that trees of those kinds 
are certain to be injured by the winter, as in very ma- 
ny seasons they are not in the least affected ; still they 
are exposed to vicissitudes which may or may not occur. 
Many gentlemen, however, of excellent judgment, make 
their plantations in the fall, which only serve to prove, 
that even in the most intelligent minds, a diversity ot' 
opinion exists. 

" TreeSf S^c, on their arrival at the place ofdestina* 
tion. — As soon as the trees a'-rive at the place where 
they are to be planted, let a trench be dug in cultivated 
ground, the bundle unpacked, and the roots well wet., 
and immediately covered with earth in the trench, ob- 
serving to make the earth fine that is spread over them, 
so as not to leave vacancies for the admission of air to 
dry the roots, it having been found by experience that 
the thriftiness of trees, the first year after transplanting 
depends much on the fine fibres of the roots being kepi 
moist, and not suffered to dry from the time they are ta- 
ken up until they are replanted ; their increase, there- 
fore, must depend principally on the subsequent man- 
agement on their arrival at the place of destination : for 
if, when the bundles are unpacked, the trees are care- 
lessly exposed to drying winds, the young fibres of thr 
roots must perish, and the trees if they live at all, can* 



APPENDIX. 169 

not thrive the first season, as they can receive little or 
no nourishment until these fibres are replaced. 

*' To cause the trees to thrive — The ground where they 
are planted must be kept cultivated ; young trees will 
not thrive if the grass be permittedte^r^n a sod around 
them, and if it should be necessary to plant thesn in 
grass grounds, care must be taken to keep the earth 
mellow and free from grass for three or four feet dis- 
tant around them, and every autumn some well rotted 
manure should be dug in and around each tree, and 
every spring the bodies of the Apple, Pear, Plum, and 
Cherry Trees, and others that it is particularly desira- 
ble to promote the growth of, should be brushed over 
with common soft soap, undiluted with water; this treat- 
ment will give a thriftiness to the trees surpassing the 
expectation of any one who has not witnessed its effect. 
Should the first season after transplanting prove dry, 
regular vvatering will be necessary, as from neglect of 
proper attention in this respect, many lose a large por- 
tion of their trees during a drought." 

Such kinds of fruit trees treated upon in this work as 
may require any other than good ordinary soil may be 
supplied, by judicious management; and if a proper 
attention be paid to the situation and aspect in arrang- 
ing a Fruit Garden, each kind may be so accommoda- 
ted as to promote its fruit's ripening earlier or later than 
the ordinary season, by varying the aspect ; but Grape 
Vines or other tender fruits should not be planted where 
the sun's influence does not fully operate. 

Where there is a great extent of close fencing or wall, 
it is advisable to plant trees ,>fthe same kind againt dif- 
ferent aspects. Such as one or two May Duke Cher- 
ries against a south aspect, which will ripen earliest, 
next, against either an east or west, and lastly, against 
a north aspect ; by observing this method with Dwarf 
Cherries, Plums, Goosberries, Currants, «fec. the fruit 
will ripen in succession, and thus a supply of them is 
considerably lengthened. The early blooming fruit trees 
will sometimes need protection in warm aspects ; for 
16* 



170 APPENDIX. 

which arrangements ma}? be made by keeping awning, 
matting, netting, &.c. at hand, to sheher them with in 
threatening weather, or to screen them from the intense 
heat of the sun after a frosty night ; this with a sprinkling 
of water, as the air gets warm, will often prevent any se- 
rious consequences from slight frost. 

Those who ma\ have various soils, should suit them 
to the different kinds of fruit. Apples and Pears require 
a strong loam, but rather the lighiest for the Pear. A- 
pricots. Cherries, Peaches, Plums, and Nectarines, a 
good deal lighter than for the Apple and Pear ; such 
fruits as may require peat, bog, or any other extraordi- 
nary kinds of earth, will be noticed as we proceed. 

The following observations on Fruit Gardens are tak- 
en from the third volume of the New- York Farmer and 
Horticultural Reposity. Article 190, page 225, com- 
municated by an Old Man : 

*' A fruit garden in ihhfree country ought to be pro- 
tected bv nothing less formidable than a pale or picket 
fence. It is in vain to think of having good fruit in 
small quantities, unless the proprietor can control every 
thumb and finger within his grounds, so that his stone- 
fruit, moie especially, may be fully ripe befoie it be re- 
moved from the tree. It is a fact, tliough it may not be 
genera II v known, that such fruit is of tern considered 
rwe, and eaten, before it has attained one half of its 
finest flavour. 

A pale or picket fence is a great protection to n fruit 
garden; for though some desperadoes may break 
through a few times in a season, it will effectually pre- 
vent the inroads of the small fry ; and it has another 
important advantage : there are men and grown boys 
whose business frequently leads them across lots, through 
Peach orchards, and directly under Pear trees, that stand 
in a common enclosure, but who are too cautious to 
scale a garden fence, because they have no excuse for 
appearing on the inside ; and these constitute amajori^ 
ty of the prowlers. 

Further, those who shoot into a garden at nighty ge- 



APPENDIX. 171 

nerally take aim in the day time. Prevent their obser- 
vations, (this fence will in many cases prevent it,) and 
the temptation and danger \\\\\ greatly be lessened. A 
good watch dog, however, is in all cases a valuable aux- 
iliary. * 

There may be many causes vfhy fruit gardens have 
not been more common among our independent farmers. 
I think that more would be done, however, were they 
better acquainted with fine fruit. To be fine, it must 
be well ripened ; and the small part thai the owner can 
get from a few small Cherry trees, (for instance,) warring 
amongst boys and birds, is seldom a fair specimen. 
Many such proprietors, though old men, have never eat- 
en a ripe May Duke, or a ripe black Tartarian. 

The importance of Apples, both for the dessert and 
for culinary purposes, is so generally admitted, that to 
do without them would be considered a great privation ; 
yet one month in summer passes away with a great ma- 
jority of the landliulders, destitute of this luxury, while 
the yelloia harvest, the juneating, the summer rose, and 
others, are dropping from the rrees of the provident. 

Of the white promordian Plum, the jiret oce de Tours, 
and other early kinds, it is enough to ask, who has tast- 
ed 1 and I should be unwilling to say that one in ten of 
our inland farmers had ever eaten as.' Apricot or a JSec- 
tarine. Summer Pears are of frequent occurrence, but 
of those delicious kinds that grace the dessert in win- 
ter, among many, even the existence is not known. I 
am not dealing in fiction. 

And the Apricot is a fine fruit, too little known. 
(Where? I write with reference to a certain meridian, 
but the remark will serve without material error, as the 
almanac-makers sa}-, for a region of hundreds of miles 
in extent.) Many varieties of this fruit are enumerat- 
ed by nurserymen ; and if not quiie equal to the peach, 
remember I they ripen one month earlier, and help to 
fill a wide space in the circle of summer fruits. The 
same climate that suits the Peach will mature them on 
standard trees in the open ground I speak from the 



172 APPENDIX. 

experience of several years, and find them in every re- 
spect as hardy as the peach tree ; neither are the blos- 
soms more injured by vernal frosts. Like the Plum, the 
fruit is subject to the attacks of the curculio, and may 
be protected in the same manner. Under our bright 
and genial skies, it is to be regretted that we have known 
so little of this wholesome and delicious fruit.' 

The number of trees required in a fruit garden must 
depend on particular circumstances. Where the Peach 
tree flourishes, the Apricot, Quince, and Nectarine, (M«f 
smooth skin Peach of peculiar flavour,) should be add- 
ed ; but in a large part of the state of New- York, the 
chief dependence must be on Cherries, Plums, and Pears, 
including the earlier varieties of Ve Apple. A liberal 
allowance for unfavourable years should be made ; and 
let the horticulturist remember, that " enough means 
a little more" (at one time than another.) 

Another consideration in favour of a good sized gar- 
den may be presented ; in squares, twice the length of 
fence, will enclose four times the quantity of ground. 
jjj ■p To make this plain, let A B C 

: .; '"*"*: D contain half an acre — it may 

• I I be too small. Move the fence 

: j I C D to E F, and D B to G H. 

Iq You have two acres ; and the 
black lines show that half the 
fence is made. 
1^ ^^ ^^^^^ three modes of ar-. 

« «.-te ranging the trees have been 

adopted. One is to 'ay out the ground in connected 
equilateral triangles, and plant at the angles. This 
places the trees more equally over the ground, than 
some other plans, each tree, except those at the sides, 
standing in the centre of a hexagon, surrounded by six 
trees at equal distances. More trees will stand on a 
given piece of ground in this order, with the same dis' 
tance between the nearest trees, than if planted in 
squares. In the latter form, each tree stands in the 



APPENDIX. 



173 



centre of a square, surrounded by only four others at 
equal distances. 

The advantage of the hexagonal form is overbalanc- 
ed, however, in small enclosures, by unoccupied spaces 
at the sides , and the same objection applies to the 
quincunx. For this reason, I prefer planting in squares. 

The annexed diagram of a garden 100 feet square, 
to be planted with trees 20 feet apart, and no tree near- 
er to the fence than 10 feet, will present a clear view of 
the subject. 





Square 


• 






Hexagon. 




Quincunx, 


.0 


V 


o 


o 





i 






M 


\/\A/ 




Q 





o 








o 


o 


o 


" 


o 




'° 


o 


o 


o 





.^ 


o 


o 











In the square, we have 25 spaces of 400 square feet^ 
each tree standing in the centre. 

In the hexagon, or equilateral triangle, ccc^ ccc, show 
unoccupied spaces. The lower row of trees is about 
3 feet from the fence. If the enclosure be enlarged, 
by removing the side 7 feet out, it will then contain 27 
trees. 

To lay out the Quincunx, we ^vant 105 feet square^ 
(an addition of more than one tenth of the quantity 
first given,) and it then only contains 25 trees. 

Some writers object to manuring fruit trees. I read 
one of these last season, just before I started with a 
friend on an excursion of nearly 100 miles through the 
country ; and on passing the various farms, our atten- 
tion was continually turned to the subject. We ob- 
served, without exception, that peach trees more espe- 
cially, which received the wash of the cow-yard, were 
distinguishable by the deep green of their leaves, and 



174 APPENDIX. 

the greater size of the fruit : and the flavour of these 
was unquestionably finer than the peaches from trees 
with paler leaves. The juices in fruit undergo an ad- 
ditional elaboration ; and eminent horticulturists have 
believed that no injurious effect is perceptible, even 
from such manures as taint the stalks and leaves of cu- 
linary vegetables. 

In preparing to plant my fruit garden, the holes 
were ordeied to be dug six feet in diameter, and two 
feet in depth. The sub-soil was thrown back, and lay- 
ers of potato tops, straw, &c. were covered with sods, 
or rich mould from the surface. Leaves and decaying 
brush from the woods would be a valuable addition. 
When treated in this manner, not only are the trees 
more likely to grow, but grow so much faster, that they 
rome sooner into full bearing by several years. This 
is not all ; the fruit will be finer in both size and fla- 
vour, and more especially in seasons of severe drought." 



OBSERVATIONS ON I^JSECTS AND DISEASES TO WHIQH 
FRUIT TREES ARE LIABLE. 

Much may be written relative to the various diseases 
to which fruit trees are liable, and also to the prevention 
and destruction of the various kinds of reptiles and in- 
sects which very frequently deprive us of the first fruits 
of our garden. The preventive operations are those 
of the best culture. Fall ploughing, by exposing worms, 
grubs, the larvae of bugs, beetles, &,c., to the intense 
frost of our winters, and the moderate use of salt, lime, 
ashes, &c. are beneficial. Insects may be annoyed, and 
sometimes their complete destruction effected by the 
use of soap-suds, ley, tar, turpentine, sulphur, pepper, 
soot, decoctions of elder, walnut leaves, tobacco, and 
other bitter and acrid substances ; but perhaps the most 
eflectual way of keeping some of the most pernicious 
kinds of insects under, is to gather up guch fruit as may 



APPENDIX. 175 

fall from the trees, before the insects have an opportu- 
nity of escaping into the earth, or to other places of 
shelter. 

Where trees are planted in a bad soil or unfavourable 
situations, they often become diseased ; when this hap- 
pens, the best remedy is good pruning, and keeping the 
trees clean, by a free use of soap and water. If that 
will not do, they may be headed down, or removed to a 
better situation. Barrenness and disease are generally 
produced by the bad qualities of earth and air, by a want 
of water, or by the inroads of insects. These incidents 
generally show themselves in the early part of the year. 
Leaves and shoots of any colour but the natural green ; 
curled and ragged leaves ; branches in a decaying state ; 
shoots growing from the roots, instead of from the stem 
or trunk ; the stem diseased in its bark, and gum ooz- 
ing from various parts thereof, are all proofs of ihe exist- 
ence of disense. 

The Peach tree is subject to a disease called the yel- 
lows ; and the discoloured leaves and feeble branches 
are often ascribed to the worms which so frequently at- 
tack the root ; where these are found, they may be re- 
moved by a knife or chisel; but if it should appear that 
the tree is diseased, it should be removed, to prevent 
other trees from being infected. The Pear, and also 
the Quince, and sometimes other trees, are subject to 
the fire blight ; this malady may be completely checked 
on its first appearance, by cutting off and immediately 
burning the injured branches. Generally speaking, 
careful pruning, cleaning the bark all over with a brush, 
applying soap or tobacco water to the leaves, and occa- 
sionally putting good earth and good manure to the 
roots, will remedy most diseases in fruit trees ; remov- 
ing them from a b;id to a better soil wjil, of course, ef- 
fect this, where it proceeds from poorness of land ; tor 
the old adage, " remove the cause, and the effect will 
cease," will be here exemplified. To cure the oozing 
of the gum, nothing more is necessary than to cut away 
the diseased parts of the bark ; and by thus assisting 



176 APPENDIX. 

nature in casting out the excrementations, or noxious 
juices, a complete cure may be effected. When a tree 
is aflfected by mildew, let it be immediately sprinkled 
with soap suds, and then be dusted over with sulphur 
and tobacco dust, or snufF; at the same time, dig around 
the tree, and examine the soil, and sub-soil ; if it be wet 
and cankery, it should be taken away, and replaced with 
good healthy soil, and the ground drained ; if on tiie 
contrary, the ground be dry, give it a plentiful water- 
ing ; the same remedy may serve as a preventive of 
the extension of blight, if taken in time. When any 
canker is observed, the part affected must, at the winter 
pruning, be cut clean out, and ihe part thus dressed be 
pared, so that no water be able to lodge in the wound ; 
when this is done, let a quantity of soot be mixed up 
with the water, after which, let a little train oil be work- 
ed well amongst it, but so that the mixture finally re- 
main stiff: this may be plastered over all the wounds 
that have been pruned. The applicition of this mix- 
ture keeps out the wet irom the wounds, where it would 
be likely to lodge, and both the soot and oil promote 
vegetation. When trees are cankery from having a 
bad sub-soil, it is in vain to apply any remedy till the 
ground is properly drained, and some fresh soil be mixed 
with the natural soil, also the tree ;< planted. When 
trees are known to be so situated as ro be particularly 
liable to the attacks of insects or disease, they should be 
attended to at the time of winter pruning, in order to 
destroy the insects in their larvae state. See page 164. 

The following compositions have been known to pro- 
tect fruit trees from the attacks of numerous insects, by 
being used as a wash to the trees immediately after the 
winter pruning. The constitution of some trees will 
bear a much stronger mixtureof ingredients than others ; 
but the proportions, as hereafter desoibed, will not be 
injurious to any, but will be effectual in the destruction 
of the larvae of insects. 

For Apricot, Nectarine^ and Peach Trees, — To S 
gallons of water add one pound of soft soap, 2 pounds 
of common sulphur, and half an ounce of black pepper. 



APPENDIX. 177 

For Apple ^ Cherry, Pear, and Plum Trees. — To 4 
gallons of water add one pound of soft soap, 2 pounds 
of comntion sulphur, 2 ounces of tobacco, and one ounce 
of black pepppr. 

For Figs and Vines. — To 4 gallons of water add 
half a pound of soft soap, one pound of sulphur, and a 
quarter of an ounce of black pepper. 

All these ingredients must be boiled together for 20 
minutes at least, and when in a lukewarm state, applied 
to the bark of the trees with a suitable brash. 

The most destructive enemy to our fruits, is the Cur- 
culio ; this insect passes the winter in the earth in a 
chrysalis state, and if suffered to remain unmolested by 
the gardener, will be ready to commence his attacks at 
about the time the blossoms appear on our fruit trees. 
The eggs are deposited in the Apple, Pear, and all stone 
fruit, at a very early stage of their growth ; these eggs 
soon hatch, and small maggots are produced, which ex- 
ist in the fruit, causing 't to drop off prematurely, with 
the little enemy witliin ; if this fruit be gathered up, or 
immediately devoured by hogs, geese, or other animals, 
a check may be put to their ravages in succeeding years, 
but if suffered to remain on the ground, they will supply 
food to myriads of their destructive race, which may not 
be so easily extirpated. The canker-worm is another 
enemy to our f*'uits, for the destruction of which many 
experiments have been tried. Some apply bandages 
round the body of the tree, smeared over with tar or 
ointment, to annoy or entrap the females, in their as- 
cent to the tree ; but as these tormentors are frequently 
on the move from November to the end of June, this 
must be a very tedious, as well as uncertain process. As 
this insect is supposed to exist within four feet of the 
trunk of the tree, and not more than three or four inches 
from the surface of the earth, good culture, and a mod- 
erate use of lime, ashes, or any other pernicious ingre- 
dient, is the most likely way to destroy them. The 
Bark-Louse is another pernicious insect ; they resemble 
blisters, and are so near the colour of bark as to be ina- 

17 



178 APPENDIX. 

perceptible ; they often prove fatal to the Apple tree, 
by preventing the circulation of the sap. These insects 
may be conquered by washing the trees with soap-suds, 
tobacco water, lime water, or brine, or a wash may be 
made of soapy water and lime, thickened to the con- 
sistence of cream or paint, with sifted sand or clay, 
which may be applied with a brush to the trunk and 
limbs of the trees ; this should be done at the latter end 
of May, or early in June, and the cracks in the bark 
should be completely covered. 

The Apple tree Borer is said to deposit its eggs be- 
neath the surface of the soil, and the worms are often to 
be found in the spring of the year, bv digging round the 
tree, and clearing away the earth to the roots, and may 
be taken out with a knife or gouge and destroyed. Af- 
ter the worms are removed, the wounds should be cov- 
ered over with grafting clay and wood ashes mixed, and 
the earth then returned to the roots of the tree. Some 
use bricklayers' mortar early in the spring, areund the 
base of the tree, so as to cover the part where the de- 
posit is made, and prevent their attacks. 

Although our limits will not allow of a further de- 
scription of the various sorts of insects which injure our 
gardens, and frequently destroy the first fruits of our 
labour, I cannot forbear directing the attention of our 
citizens to the importance of saving all kinds of ashes. 
If all agriculturists and horticulturists were to offer an 
inducement to the inhabitants of large cities to save iheir 
ashes in a dry state, they would be supplied not only 
with a valuable manure, but an antidote for many kinds 
of insects ; and our citizens would be at less risk from fire, 
by having a brick vault on the premises for safe keeping 
them. Tn England, a private dwelling is not considered 
complete without an ash vault, and a good farmer would 
dispense with his barn, rather than be destitute of an 
ash-house. I have known farmers supply the cottagers 
with as much peat as they could burn, on condition of 
their saving them the ashes ; and there are some that 
will keep men under pay throughout the year, burning 



APPENDIX. 179 

peat for the same purpose ; and any thing that has pass- 
ed the fire is so valuable, that a chimney-sweep will fre- 
quently clean chimneys for the sake of the soot, which 
is conveyed miles mto the country, and sold at a price 
sufficient to reward the collectors, besides paying all ex- 
penses ; even the house-keepers' ashes in cities is a 
marketable article at all times, at from ten to twenty- 
five cents per bushel, when kept dry and clean, and a 
guinea a load was formerly the common price in the vil- 
lages in Berkshire and Hampshire. 

While on this subject, I would urge the importance 
of a spring dressing of ashes. If cultivators were to 
prepare turfs from tanners' bark, peat, earth, coal dust, 
mixed with clay, cow dung, &c., and get them dried in 
the summer season, these, by being preserved through 
the winter, may be burned around fruit orchards, while 
(he trees are in blossom, and if the fires are properly 
managed, a smoke may be kept up, by heaping on damp 
litter every night ; this will prove pernicious to such in- 
sects as may reside in the trees, and the ashes being 
spread on the ground, will serve as an antidote for the 
destruction of others. An Orchard thus managed every 
year, will need no other manure. The smoking should 
be effected first on one side of the plantation, and after- 
wards on the other,, or heaps may be prepared in differ- 
ent parts of the Orchard, and fire applied according as 
the wind may serve, to carry the smoke where ii is most 
necessary. 1 know a gardener in the neighbourhood 
CFf New- York, who saved his Plums and Nectarines by 
burning salt hay, -^fter its having been used as a cover- 
ing for his Spinach ; and I have no hesitation m recom- 
mending it as an excellent remedy for securing fruit 
trees from insects, especially if some coarse tobacco 
could be procured to add to it. The damper the mate- 
rials are, in moderation, the more smoke they will create; 
and if a little tar. pitch, sulphur, or other pernicious 
combustible be sprinkled amongst them, it will be bene- 
fi.'ial. For further remarks on the destruction of in- 



180 APPENDIX. 

sects, the reader is referred to pages 7 and 8 of the ge- 
neral remarks on the management of the Kitchen Gar- 
den. 



ON TRAINING AND PRUNING FRUIT TREES AND VINES. 

In training and pruning fruit trees, particular atten- 
tion is required. To supply a tree with a sufficiency 
of vegetable juices, there must necessarily be living bark 
and wood, in an uninterupted succession from the root 
to the extremities of the branches ; pruning therefore is 
useful to remedy any defect, as well as to take off su- 
perfluous wood and prevent unnecessary waste of the 
sap. Pruning may be performed at different seasons of 
the year according to the kinds of fruit, which will be 
shewn under each head, as we proceed. 

In the Spring, or Summer pruning, be careful not to 
destroy the germs of future fruits ; but merely remove 
all unserviceable sprays. In the winter season, make 
your selection from the wood shoots of the preceding 
year ; keep those which appear the most healthy, and 
cut away those which seem redundant Beginners had 
better prefer the Spring, as the buds will then be a guide 
for them to go by; but this business must not be delay- 
ed too late in the season, as some kinds of trees and 
vines are apt to bleed from being pruned untimely. 
When the sap rises in Grape Vines, &.c. before the 
wound is healed, bleeding ensues, and is not easily 
stopped. When this happens, sear the place, and co- 
ver it with melted wax, or with warm pitch spread up- 
on a piece of bladder; or peel off the outside bark to 
some distance from the place ; and then press into the 
pores of the wood a composition of pounded chalk and 
tar, mixed to tlie consistence of putty. Vines will bleed 
in autumn as well as in spring, though not so copiously 
at the former season. The best preventive is tiraeous 
or early pruning in the Spring ; and not pruning untiV 



APPENDIX. 181 

the wood is thoroughly ripe in autumn. With respect 
to the niannei in which vines, and some particular kinds 
of trees should be trained, opinions are at variance. 
Some advise training the shoots in a straight and direct 
manner, others in a horizontal manner, and others in a 
serpentine form, &c. If vines be trained on low walls 
or trellises, the horizontal or zigzag manner of training 
may be adopted. Horizontal training is that in which 
from a main stem, lateral branches aie led out horizon- 
tally on each side. 

It has been remarked that in order to be a good trai- 
ner of vines, a man must have some forethought, and 
be capable of making his selection, as the plants shoot. 
He must predetermine how he shall prune, and where 
he shall cut at the end of the season ; and so as it were, 
fashion the plants to his mind. He has this more ef- 
fectually in his power, with respect to the vine, than 
any other fruit tree, on account of its rapid growth and 
docility. 

By attending to the proper pruning of fruit trees in 
the winter, every advantage is promoted, and by a ju- 
dicious management in other respects, wood may not 
only be obtained bur preserved in everj^ part of the 
tree, and so that it will bear down to the very bole, 
which will evidentl}^ be greatly to the credit of the gar- 
dener, the benefit of the proprietor, and vvill be equally 
conducive to the beauty and welfare of the tree. While 
trees' are young, it is necessary to lay a good foundation 
for a supply of bearing wood in future years, for when 
this is neglected, and they become naked, it is some 
time before a supply can be recovered. In shortening 
a branch, always take care to cut in a direction a little 
sloping, and so that the slope m.iy be parallel in a con- 
trary way to the nearest bud left. It is requisite to have 
a very sharp knife, that the cut may not be ragged, but 
clean, and in the operation, must be careful that the 
knife does not slip, so that any other branch be cut or 
damaged. The general pruning of fruit trees is indiffe- 
rently performed bv manv persons at any time from 
17* 



1 82 APPENDIX. 

autumn to spring, and it may be done so without an> 
great injury to them providing tliat mild weather is 
chosen for the purpose, and the wood is well ripened. 
Although it may be advantageous to prune trees early 
in the winter when the wood is well ripened, yet when 
the wood is green and the buds are not arrived at a ma- 
ture state, it is requisite in such instances to defer prun- 
ing until spring, taking care however that it is perform- 
ed before the moving of the sap. The necessity of this 
arises from the circumstance, that as the wood is not 
ripened in autumn, the sap is then in an active state, 
and will continue so until the frost, &c. causes it to be- 
come stagnant, and if the shoots were shortened whilst 
the sap was in motion, the buds would be considerably 
injured and the tree weakened. Such unripe shoots 
are also more liable to suffer by the severity of winter, 
and when the pruning is deferred until Spring, all such 
parts as may have been affected by the weather, can be 
removed to the extent to which the damage has been 
sustained. As the pruning of such unripe wood in the 
autumn would be injurious, so it frequently is when it 
is done during winter, and the more so, according to the 
severity of it. Because, whenever a cut is made on such 
green wood, the frost generally affects it, as the sap is 
not dense, nor the wood so firm, as to be able to resist 
its intonseness. Whatever method is adopted in train- 
ing trees, care should be taken to keep the two sides as 
nearly equal as possible ; this may easily be done 
whether they are trained in the fan, or horizontal me- 
thod. 

For espalier trees the horizontal method has many 
advantages over any other ; the small compass in which 
the trees are obliged to be kept requires such a direc- 
tion for the branches, in order to make them fructilerous. 
And were very high trellises formed, so as to admit of 
the trees being trained in the fan method, such would 
be very objectionable by reason of the shade ihey would 
cause, and the trees would also be deprived of the ben- 
efit of a warmer temperature, which those less elevated 



APPENDIX. 183 

receive, by the effects of which fiuitfuluess is considera- 
bly promoted. 

As some young gardeners may not know what is meant 
by espaliers, it may be necessary to explain, that, espa- 
leirs are hedges of fruit trees, which are trained up reg- 
ularly to a frame or trellis of wood work ; they produce 
large fruii plentifully, without taking up much room, 
and may be planted in the Kitchen Garden without 
much inconvience to its other products. For espalier 
fruit trees in the open ground a trellis is absolutely ne- 
cessary, and may ehherbe formed of common stakes or 
poles, or ot regular joinery work, according to taste or 
fancy. 

The following article is selected as appropriate to our 
subject, from the fourth volume of the New- York Far- 
mer and Horticultural Repository, No. 1, page 3, com- 
municated by that enterprising Horticulturist, J. Buel, 
Esq., of the Albany Nursery, and entitled. Hints on 
Pruning : 

The principal objects of pruning, are to procure a 
good bole or trunk for timber ; to form a proper head 
for the production of fruit ; and to subserve the pur- 
poses of ornament. 

To effect these objects with the least trouble and 
greatest advantage, upon all non-resinous trees, the fol- 
lowing rules are recommendeii : 

1st. Begin to prunt^ the tree when it is young. 

2d. Cut close and smooth to the bole or limb. 

3d. Cut, when smfill, the branches which are likely 
to interfere, or become useless, and which, if suffered t« 
remain, will require to be removed at a more ad'^anced 
period of growth. 

4th. Do not trim to excess. Let the branckes occu- 
py, at least, a third of the entire height of a tree. 

5th. Do not prune when the tree bleeds. 

Where the preceding suggestions are observed, we 
may add — 

6th. Prune in summer. 



184 APPENDIX. 

I proceed to offer my reasons for the rules here re- 
«:om mended, and 

First. The food required to nourish the lateral use- 
less branches, will go to increase the diameter and height 
of the plant, or swell the fruit, if these are judiciously 
removed. But a main consideration is, that the excision 
of small branches causes only small wounds, and small 
wounds speedily heal. The observance of this rule, 
therefore, facilitates growth, promotes health, and ulti- 
mateh saves labour. 

Secondly. This rule needs very little argument to 
enforce its propriety, as every observer must have fre- 
quently seen and lamented the ruinous effects of an op- 
posite practice. The snags either send out useless sprays, 
or, deprived of the feeble aid of these, ihey die and rot, 
and carry disease into the bole, and are thus often the 
cause of the premature loss of the entire tree. If cut 
close, the enlargement of the living wood soon covers 
the wound. In large branches, where ihe saw must 
be used, the healing process is greatly facilitated, by- 
paring the cut, particularly the exterior edges, with the 
pruning knife ; and it is a good precaution, before you 
use the saw, to notch under the intended cut, to prevent 
tearing the bark when the limb falls. In extirpating 
sprouts from the roots, and neither tli<^y nor those grow- 
ing from the bole should be suffered long to remain, the 
like precaution of cutting close should ho observed ; for 
which purpose, it is necessary first t«* remove the earth 
from about the collar, with the spade or other instru- 
ment. / 

Thirdly. The reasons for pruning a tree while young, 
apply here : it is easier to cut small than large limbs, 
and the wounds of the former soonest heal. But the 
question presents, what limbs are to be cut 1 Generally 
all that are likely to cross each other, all feeble sprays, 
the strongest on the bole, and the weakest in the lop ; for 
while the trees are in the nursury, [ think it serviceable 
to leave a few scattering laterals upon the bole, and it is 
beneficial, at all ages, to thin most kinds in the lop. Yet 



APPENDIX. 185 

the answer to the inquiry will depend principally upon 
the species of tree, and the design of the planter. If 
his object be timber, the leading shoot should be feather- 
ed up in a spiral form, and all other shoots likely to in- 
terfere with its growth, be cut away. If the object be 
fruit, beauty and utility are to be consulted, and these 
are seldom incompatible in the eyes of a fruit-grower, 
for with him productiveness constitutes beauty. If or- 
nament be the main consideration, no special directions 
can be given, as the species employed, the location, and 
the taste and fancy of the planter, will have a control- 
ling influence. The rule fo*- timber trees will not ap- 
ply to either rhose destined for fruit or ornament. 

In orchard and garden fruit, generally, the endeavour 
should be to obtain a low and spreading top. When a 
clean bole is obtained to a sufficient height, say in the 
orchard, of seven or eight feet, and in the garden, ac- 
cording to fancy, the leading shoot should be cut in, 
and three or more arms or branches left to form the 
head ; which, when the habii of the tree will permit i^ 
should be pruned so as to give it a besom form, or that 
of a broom divested of its centre. Several advantages 
arise from this and a more expanded form. It admits 
the air and sun more freely, to mature the fruit and wood; 
it renders the tree less liable to be blown down ; it faci- 
litates the gathering of the fruit, ami the pruning of the 
tree. But the principal advantage consists in its ten- 
dency to increase oviparous or fruit buds, and conse- 
quently to augment the fruit. A great growth of wood 
seems to be incompatible with a great crop of fruit, and 
vice versa. A. cow which gives much milk seldom 
takes on much flesh during the milking season. If the 
secreted food is converted into milk and fruit, there can 
be but little reasonable hope of its adding to the flesh'of 
the animal, or the wood of the vegetable. Erect branch- 
es produce most wood buds, horizontal branches the 
most fruit buds. Straight limbs produce less fruit than 
those that are curved or crooked. Whatever retards 
or diminishes the flow of elaborated sap, in a healthy 



186 APPENDIX. 

tree, is favourable to the production of fruit. Hence 
wall trees, whost* limbs are trained in the form of a fan, 
or in a horizontal direction, fruit better than those that 
grow upright as standards. Hence young trees are more 
apt to show blossoms the first and second year after 
transplanting, than in the two subsequent years. Po- 
mologists have endeavoured to render this law of vege- 
tation subservient to their interests, by adopting artifi- 
cial means for inducing the production of fruit buds. 
These means consist in ring-barking, transplanting, cut- 
ling the roots, training, pruning, &c. The Pears in 
the Caledonian Horticultural gardens are trained en 
gucnouille, that is, the lateral branches are cut in to a 
short distance of the main stem, and kept so, and the 
fruit is produced on the spurs growing from these short- 
ened branches. In the Horticultural garden of Lon- 
don, the limbs of the Pear are tied down in a drooping 
position, resembling somewhat in appearance the weep- 
ing willow. The vines cultivated at Thomery, celebra- 
ted for their superior fi'uit, are planieu eij^hicen inches 
apart, trained in the form of a T, the top horizontally, 
and restricted in their growth to lour feet from the main 
stem. In this way a trellice of eight feet long, ;.nd eight 
feet high, is sufficient for five vines, which produce 
upon an average 320 bunches of fruit. These modes of 
training have a common object, tliat of restricting the 
growth of wood, and producing an increase of fruit. 
Those who wish to examine the modes of training here 
spoken of, in detail, are referred to Loudon's Garden- 
er's M;i«i zine. 

Fourthly. Leaves are as necessary in the economy 
of vegetation as roots. The sap must be elaborated in 
these before it can be transnuted into wood, bark, or 
fruit. A tree cannot thrive, therefore, when these or- 
gans are either deficient or diseased. If sufficient leaves, 
or branches to produce them, are not left to concoct, or 
digest the sap which is propelled from the roots, the 
tree, to use a modern term, but a just comparison, be- 
comes dyspeptic^ the vegetable blood is vitiated, the 



APPENDIX. 187 

wood loses its texture, and a stinted growth, or prema- 
ture death generally ensues. Hence great precaution 
should be used against excessive pruning. 

Fifthly. To prune when the tree bleeds, tends to de- 
bilitate, by wasting what is designed as food for the tree. 
I have known it fatal to the vine. What is termed 
bleeding, is the flowing of the sap from wounds before 
it has been converted into aliment. This sap flows 
most freely while the buds are swelling, and until the 
leaves are fully capable of discharging their office, as is 
strongly instanced in the maple, birch, &.c. Our or- 
chards are generally pruned in March, which is proba- 
bly the most unfavourable month in the year for this 
operation. 

Sixthly. The advantages of summer pruning are, that 
the tree being then in vigorous growth, the wounds heal 
speedily ; and the sap being concocted and thick, does 
not flow from the wounds, and thereby impair the health 
of the plant. Summer pruning should not be perform- 
ed, however, before July, when the new growth has con- 
siderably advanced. It may be well to add, as this sug- 
gestion may seem unsound, that summer pruning is re- 
commended by the best authorities. " As a general 
rule," sa^'S Pontey, " summer is preferable to winter 
pruning ;" and Sang suspends pruning " from the be- 
ginning of February to the middle of July, but carries it 
on during every other month of the year."* 

In regard to evergreens, which with us are confined 
principally to resinous trees, it is the general practice of 
nursery-men, and I think it a judicious one, not to prune 
them till they have acquired some years' growth, and 
then but sparingly and at long intervals, displacing two 



* The Gardener's Magazine for October, has a communication 
from John Bowers, recommending summer as having a decided 
preference. The growth of trees thus pruned, he says, far exceeds 
that of the winter pruned. He commenced the practice in 1826, 
when his trees were six feet high ; and in the autumn of 1829, 
they were 20 feet. He has this year summer- pruned 100 acres 
of young plantations, which in August were stated to beremark- 
ably thriving and healthy. ^ 



188 APPLE TREE. 

or three tiers of the lower branches every two or three 
years. Monteilh says " never cut off a branch till it has 
begun to rot, as the bleeding of a live branch will go 
far to kill the tree." 

The implements employed in pruning, and the man- 
ner of using them, are matters of moment. If tlie ope- 
ration is commenced when the tree is youn;r, and judi- 
ciously followed up, a good knife, a small saw, and a 
chisel fixed on a six foot handle, to trim the tops and 
extremities of the branches, are all the tools that are re^ 
quired. A large saw will be occasionally wanted ; but 
an axe or hatchet should never be employed, as they 
fracture the wood, bruise and tear the bark, and disfi- 
gure the tree. 

In preparing the following articles, the object has been 
to furnish such information as was thought best calcula- 
ted to entertam, as well as to instruct the readers. Be- 
sides the authorities quoted, I have gleaned from those 
inexhaustible treasures to Horticulturists, Loudon's En- 
cyclopaedia of Plants, and that of Gardening; but on 
account of the brevity necessarily observed throughout 
this work, it has been found impracticable to give many 
entire extracts ; suffice it to say, that the historical facts 
are generally collected from these sources. 



APPLE. PoMMiER. Pyrus malus. 

The Apple being so closely connected with our wants 
and enjoyments, is entitled to the first notice in the ca- 
talogue of our ffuits. The Apple or<"hard is in truth 
the vineyard of our country : a. id the delicious bever- 
age that can be obtained from some of the varieties of 
this excellent fruit being calculated to cheer the invalid, 
as well as strengthen the healthy, entitles it to high con- 
sideration. It is one of our oldest species of fruit, and 
has become completely naturalized to our soil ; none 



APPLE. 189 

*:an be brought to so high a degree of perfection with so 
little trouble ; and of no other are there so many ex- 
cellent varieties in general cultivation, calculated for 
almost every soil, situation, and climate, which our 
country affords. The Apple tree is supposed by some 
to attain a great age : lialler mentions some trees in 
Herefordshire, En2:land, that attained a thousand years, 
and were highly prolific; but Knight considers two hun- 
dred years as the ordinary duration of a healthy tree, graft- 
ed on a crab stock, and planted in a strong tenacious soil, 
Speechly mentions a tree in an orchard at Burton-joicc, 
near Nottingham, of about sixty years old, with branches 
extending from seven to nine yards round the bole, which 
in 1792 produced upwards of two hundred gallons of 
apples. 

The Romans had only twenty-two varieties in Pliny's 
time. There are upwards of fifteen hundred now cul- 
tivated in the garden of the Horticultural Society of 
London, under name ; the catalogue of the Linn^eari 
Botanic Garden at Flushing, contains over four hundred ; 
and one of our enterprising horticulturists, Mr. Wm. 
Coxe, of Burlington, New-Jersey, enumerated one hun- 
dred and thirty-three kinds, cultivated in the United 
States, some years ago. They are usually divided into 
dessert, baking and cider fruits ; the tirst high flavored, 
the second such as fall or become mellow in baking Oi- 
boiling, and the third austere, and generally fruit of 
small size. Besides this division. Apples are classed as 
pippins or seedlings, pearmains or somewhat pear-shaped 
fruits, rennets or queen-specked fruits, calviles or white 
skinned fruits, russets or brown fruits, codlings or fall- 
ing fruits, and burknots, which last grow readily by 
cuttings. 

The Apple may be propagated by layers, and man^' 
sorts by cuttings and budding, but the usual mode is by 
grafting on seedling stocks-of two or three years growtl)., 
and for dwarfing on stocks of the Quince or Paradise 
Apple. All the principal varieties are cultivated as 
standards, in the orchard, and should be platited from 
18 



190 APPLE. 

thirty to forty feet from each other, or from any other 
spreading trees, in wder that the sun and air may have 
its due influence in maturing the fruit. 

Many of the dwarf kinds may be introduced into the 
Kitchen Garden, and trained as espaliers or dwarf stan- 
dards. An Apple orchard may be planted at any time 
after the trees are two years old from the graft ; and as 
trees from young stocks will not come into full bearing 
until ten or twelve years old, they will bear removing 
with care at any time within that period. 

Old Apple trees may be graftedwith superior varieties 
by being headed down to standard height ; in very old 
subjects, most commonly, the branches only are cut over 
within a foot or two of the trunk, and then grafted in 
the crown or cleft manner. In all the varieties of the 
common Apple, the mode of bearing is upon small ter- 
minal and later. 1 spurs, or short robust shoots, from 
half an inch to two inches long, which spring from the 
younger branches of two or more years growth, appear- 
ing first at the extremity, and extending gradually to the 
side : the same bearing branches and fruit spurs continue 
many years fruitful. 

Pruning. — As from the mode ol bearing, Apple trees 
do not admit of shortening in the general bearers, it 
should only be practised in extraordinary cases. If 
trees have not the most desirable form when three or 
four years old, they should be judiciously pruned to 
promote regular spreading branches. In aiinual pru- 
ning, the main branches should not be cut unless in 
cases of decay : but all superfluous cross branches and 
dead wood shouiJ be taken out, and the suckers eradi- 
cated. Espaliers require a Summer and Winter pru- 
ning. 



APRICOT. 191 

APRICOT, ABRicoTiER. Frujius Armeniaca, 

The fruit of the Apricot is next in esteem to the 
Peach, and as it ripens three or four weeks earlier, 
should be r»ore generally cultivated. The flowers ap- 
pear in April, on the shoots of the preceding year, and 
on spurs of two or more years growth, and the fruit 
ripens in July and August. The London Horticultural 
Society's catalogue describes fifty-four sorts, and Messrs. 
Prince have farty-four in their catalogue ; besides these, 
is the Peach Apricot, a large fruit, supposed to be a 
hybrid between a Peach and an Apricot. 

Our enterprising fellow citizen, Mr. VVm. Shaw, suc- 
ceeds every year in maturing large quantities of this ex- 
cellent fruit ; he ripens some on standards, but they suc- 
ceed best when trained against close fences. In England 
some of the varieties are cultivated as standards, and 
espaliers ; they seldom bear much fruit under ten or 
twelve years ; but then the fruit is abundant and of the 
finest flavour. They are commonly cultivated as wall 
trees, in an East or West aspect ; for if they are planted 
full South, the great heat causes them to be mealy be- 
fore they are eatable. New varieties are procured from 
seed, as in the peach, and approved sorts are perpetua- 
ted by buddi'ig on Plum stocks, &c. 

The varieties of the Apricot, in general, bear chiefly 
upon the young shoots of last year, and casually upon 
small spurs rising on the two or three years old fruit 
branches. The Moor Park bears chiefly on the last 
year's shoots, and on close spurs formed on the two year 
old wood. The bearing shoots emit the blossom buds 
immediately from the eyes along the sides, and the buds 
have a round and swelling appearance. 

Apricot trees may be planted at any time after the 
head is formed : some head them down in the nursery 
bed, and remove them to their destined places when 
five or six years old. 

Standards will require only occasional pruning to re- 
gulate such branches as may be too numerous, loo 



192 APRICOT. 

extended or cross formed, and lo remove any casually 
unfruitful parts and dead wood; but the regular branches, 
forming the head of the tree, should not be shortened 
unless necessary. 

The general culture of the wall Apricots compre- 
hends a Summer and Winter course of regulation, by 
pruning and training. The fan method is generally 
adopted, but some prefer training horizontally. With 
young trees some contrive to fill the wall by heading 
down twice a year. 

The Winter or early Spring management compre- 
hends a general regulation both of the last year's shoots 
and the older branches, A general supply of the most 
regular situated young shoots must be every where re- 
tained, for successionil bearers the ensuing year. Cut 
out such branches as are not furnished with competent 
supplies of young wood, or with fruit spurs, to make 
room for training a general supply of the most promis- 
ing branches retained. Generally observe in this pru- 
ning to retain one leading shoot at the end of each 
branch : either a naturally placed terminal, or one form- 
ed by cutting (where a vacancy is to be furnished) into 
a proper leader. Let the shoots retained for bearers be 
moderately shortened : reduce strong shoots in the least 
proportioned — cutting off one fourth or less of their 
length ; from weak shoots take away a third, and some- 
times a half. This shortening will conduce to the pro* 
duction of a competency of lateral shoots the ensuing 
Summer, from the lower and middle placed eyes ; 
whereas without it, the new shoots would proceed most- 
ly from the top, and leave the under part of the princi- 
pal branches naked, and the lower and middle parts of 
the tree unfurnished with proper supplies of bearing 
wood. Never prune below all the blossom buds, except 
to provide wood, in which case cut nearer to the origin 
of the branch. As, in these trees, small fruit spurs, an 
inch or two long, often appear on some of the two or 
three year's branches furnished with blossom buds, these 
spurs should generally be retained for bearing. As each 



ALMOND. 193 

tree is pruned, nail it, laving in the branches and shoots 
from three to six inches distance, straight and close to 
the fence or wall. 

The Summer pruning is principally to regulate the 
3'oung shoots, of the syme year. In the first place, take 
oflf close all the irregular foremost shoots, taking care to 
retain a competent supply of choice, side shoots, with a 
good leader to each parent branch. Continue these 
mostly at full length all ti)e Summer, regularly trained 
in, to procure a sufficiency to choose from in the general 
Winter pruning, for new bearers the next year. 

If the Summer regulation commences early, while 
the shoots are quite young, and, as it were, herbaceous, 
those improper to retain may be detached with the fin- 
ger and thumb ; but wh^'u of firmer growth, they must 
be removed with the knife. If anv very strong shoots 
rise in any part where the wood is deficient, they may 
be topped in June, which will cause thnrii to produce 
several laterals the same year, eligible for training in, to 
supply the vacancy. 

Sometimes the fruit is much too numerous, if not at- 
tacked by insects, ofren growing in clusters ; in which 
case thin them while in a young green state, leaving the 
most prominent fruit sinaly, at three or four inches dis- 
tance, or from about t vo to six on the respective shoots, 
according to their strength. The \pricots so thinned 
off, and the first principal green fruit are \ery fine for 
tarts. 



ALMOND. Amandier. Ami/gdalus. 

Although Almonds are not much cultivated in this 
part of our country, they are entitled to notice. The 
species are fruit trees, or ornamental trees and shrubs, 
both much esteemed for the gay colour and early ap- 
pearance of their flowers ; these vary in their colour 
from the fine blush of the Apple blossom to a snowy 
18* 



194 BERBERRY. 

ivliiteness. The chief obvious distinction is in the fruit 
which is flatter, with a coriaceous covering, instead of 
the rich pulp of the Peach and Nectarine, opening spon- 
taneously when the kernel is ripe. It is a native of 
Barbary, China, and most eastern countries. There 
are twenty-one sorts described in the catalogue of the 
Linnaean Botanic Garden at Flushing; some of which 
are represented as new kinds from France and Italy ; 
where they are cultivated extensively for their fruit. 

In France, they have above a dozen species or va- 
rieties, besides a hybrid culled the Almond Peach. The 
common and bitter Almond are only to be distinguish- 
ed by the taste of the kernals of their fruit ; which is 
the only part used. The tender shelled is in the great- 
est esteem ; and next, the sweet and Jordan. The bit- 
ter cuticle or skin of Almonds is taken off by immer- 
sion in boiling water. 

The sweet Almond and other varieties are used as a 
dessert in a green or imperfectly ripe, and also in a ripe 
or dried state. They are much used in cookery, con- 
fectionary, perfumery and medicine. 

The Almond is propagated by seed, for varieties, or 
for stocks ; and by budding on its own or on Plum stocks^ 
for continuing varieties. The Almond tree bears chief- 
iy on the young wood of the previous year, and in part 
upon small spurs or minor branches ; it is tliereforo 
pruned like the Apricot and Peach, and its culture in 
other respects is the same. 



BERBERF.Y. A^inetier ou Epine Vinette. Ber~ 
beris. 

The Berberis vulgaris is at once an ornamental shrub, 
a fruit tree, a hedge plant, a dye and a drug. There 
are several species or varieties indigenous in Europe, 
China and America. The shrub is branchy and prick- 
ly, rising to the height of eight or ten feet, with ash 



BERBERRY. 195 

coloured bark, yellow inside. The flowers appear in 
pendulous racemes towards the end of the branches; 
the berries at first green. The most esreemed varie- 
ties for their frui;, are the following : 1. Red Berberry, 
without stones, which has an agreeable flavour when 
full ripe. Ii is only found without stones when the 
plant has attained considerable age, and is on a poor 
soil. 2. Pale fruited Berberry. 3. .White fruited. 
4. Black sweet, which is the tendtrest of them, and 
will bear the heat better than some other kinds. There 
are also some kinds with purple coloured fruit, and some 
with yellow. The common red with stones is planted 
more for orha^ment than use, on account of its beautiful 
red berries. The berries of Berberis Canadensis are 
spherical. 

The bunches of fruit of the common Berberry are 
well known as iffording an excellent sweet-meat when 
preserved in sugar. The qualities of the different va- 
rieties enumerated are probably of equal merit in point 
of flavour, but the fruit is materially different in ap^ 
pearance. It ripens gradually from August lo October. 
The sweet sort is a native of Austria. All the varie- 
ties are propagated commonly by suckers, also by cut- 
tings and layers of the young branches, and occasional- 
ly b}' grafting ; the common red is also raised by seed ; 
each of which methods of propagating may be performed 
in the spring ; that by suckers and layers may be effected 
also in autumn. 

The Berberry produces its fruit at the sides of the 
branches in small loose bunches , it bears both on young 
and old wood, chiefly towards the extremities. The 
branches should not be shortened in pruning, except the 
design be to force out new wood ; permit the head to 
extend freely ; and give only occasional pruning, to 
keep it in a pretty round form, open in the middle ; 
cutting out weak, superfluous, crossing, and decayed 
branches ; reduce all long ramblers and low stragglers, 
also lateral shoots on the stem, and eradicate all root 
suckers. 



196 CHERRY. 

Sir J. Banks, in his treatise on blight, states tlmt " the 
Vaccinia^ a funous which closes up the epidermis ol' 
tiie leaves of grain crops, and appears on the surface 
like rust is generated by the yEciclum berberides, an in- 
sect which inhabits Aiq Berbeiry ; if this be correct, the 
plant is not desiiable to the farmer. It is however much 
cultivated in Europe, for the sake of the fruit, which is 
pickled and used for garnishing dishes; and being boil- 
ed with sugar, forms a most agreeable sweet-meat or 
jelly ; they are used likevvise in sugar-plums or comtits. 
As a medicine the fruii is considefed a mild restringent 
acid, agreeable to the stomach, and of efficacy (like other 
vegetable acids) in hot bilous disorders, and in a putrid 
disposition of the humours. The roots boiled in a ley, 
yield a yellow colour — and in Poland they dye leather 
of a fiae yellow, wiih the bark of the root ; and with the 
assistance of allum the inner bark-of the stems also will 
dye linen of a fine yellow colour." 



CHERRY. Cerisier, &c. Frunus cerasus. 

The Cherry of the cultivated varieties is said to have 
hcen first introduced into Italy, in the year 73, from a 
town in Pontus, in Asia, called Cerasus, whence its 
specific name ; and it was -ntroduced into Britain one 
hundred and twenty years afterwards. 

The Romans had eight varieties of Cherries, red, 
black, tender fleshed, hard fleshed, small bitter flavour- 
ed and dwarf sort. There are now upwards of two 
hundred in cultivation. The French divide their Cher- 
ries into griottes, or tender fleshed ; bigareaux or heart 
fleshed ; and guigncs or small fruits. The fruit of ma- 
ny varieties is somewhat heart shaped, whence they are 
called ox heart, white heart, black heart, &c. ; why 
some sorts an' called dukes is not so obvious. The 
morello cherry is very different from the other varie- 
ties, bearing almost exclusively from the preceding years 



CHERRY. 197 

wood, and tJie pulp of the fruit having the consistence 
and flavour of the fungi called morel; whence the name. 
The Chinese Cherry is valuable on account of its bear- 
ing an excellent fruit, and producing it abundantly id 
forcing houses. 

Cherries are grafted or budded on seedlings from 
Cherry stones, and from seedlings of the red and black 
mazzard. For dwarfing, they are worked on the morel- 
lo, or perfumed Cherry ; the latter is preferred in Hol- 
land. 

Cherry trees in general, produce the fruit upon small 
spurs or studs, from half an inch to two inches in length, 
which proceed from the sides and ends of the two 
year, three year, and older branches, and as new spurs 
continue shooting from the extreme parts, it is a maxim 
in pruning both standards and espaliers, &c., not to 
shorten the bearing branches where there is room for 
their regular extension. 

The morelU) is in some degree an exception, as it 
bears principally on the shoots of the preceding year, 
the fruit proceeding immediately from the eyes of the 
shoots ; and bears but casually, and in a small degree 
on close spurs formed on the .two year old wood, and 
scarcely ever on wood of the third year, therefore, in 
pruning, leave a supply of young shoots on all the 
branches from the origin to the extremity of the tree, 
for next year's bearers. 

All kinds of Cherry trees except the morello are apt 
to grow very tall ; to remedy this, and to enable them 
to form handsome heads, the leading shoot should be cut 
oflf when about three years growth from the bud ; after 
which give only occasional pruning, to reform or remove 
any casual irregularity from cross placed or very crowd- 
ed branches ; and take away all cankery and decayed 
wood. 

Dwarf Cherry trees may be introduced into the 
Kitchen Gaiden, and trained as espaliers, &c. When 
morellos are planted in an orchard, they may be placed 
from fifteen to twenty feet apart ; trees of the duke 



198 CHESTNUT. 

kind may be planted from twenty-five to thirty feet 
apart ; and the heart shaped, in general, will require to 
be from thirty to forty feet from each other, or from any 
other spreading trees. 

Cherry Trees may be removed the first year after the 
bud is established ; but they will bear removing at any 
time before they come into bearing, which is about the 
fifth year. 

" The gum which exudes from Cherry trees is equal 
to gum arable ; and Hasselquist relates, that more than 
one hundred men, during a siege, we^-e kept alive for 
nearly two months, without atiy other sustenance than 
a little of this gum taken sometimes into the mouth, and 
suffered gradually to dissolve.'* The wood is hard and 
tough, and used by the turner and cabinet maker. 



CHESTNUT. Chataigner. Castanea. 

The Chestnut is well known as a large tree, spread- 
ing its branches finely on every side where it has room, 
but, planted closely, wjU shoot up straight to a great 
height. It is supposed to have been originally from 
Sardis. It is so common as to be considered a na« 
tive of France and Italy; and some consider it as nat- 
uralized in England ; it is also indigenous in America. 
The London catalogue contains the names of thirty- 
two sorts under cultivation. The Chestnut is like the 
Walnut, both a timber and fruit tree ; some of the old- 
est trees in the world are of this species. The Amer- 
ican Chestnut differs so little from the European, that 
no specific distinction can be drawn. It is one of the 
largest trees of the forest, the wood being extremely 
durable, and in high esteem for posts and rails to con- 
struct fences ; and the nuts are very delicious. The 
Castanea pumila or Chinquapin nut, is a small tree, 
or rather shrub, growing to the height of thirty feet in 
ihc Southern States, but seldom exceeding ten in cold 



CRANBERRY. 199 

latitudes ; the fruit is very sweet and agreeable to eat. 
There is a variety with striped leaves, which is very 
oinamental. The most esteemed of the French kinds 
are called marron. Some excellent fruit bearing vari- 
eties are cultivated in England, Frnnce, Italy and 
Spain, as also in other parts of Europe ; these are in- 
creased by grafting or budding in the usual methods, 
but the plants for coppice woods, or timber are best 
raised from nuts. Some varieties ripen their fruit a 
few days earlier than others, but none of these have 
been fixed on, oi perpetuated by nurserymen, so as to 
be rendered available by purchasers. The fruit is a 
desirable nut for autumn and winter, and is eaten roast- 
ed, with salt, and sometimes raw ; and in some coun- 
tries it is not only boiled and roasted, but ground into 
meal ; and puddings, cakes and bread are made from it. 



CRANBERRY. Canneberge. Oxycoccus. 

This genus of plants is well distinguished from the 
Vaccinium or Whortleberry, by the narrow revolute 
segments of corolla ; and are pretty little trailing ever- 
green plants to which a peat soil and rather a moist 
situation are absolutely necessary ; they are very little 
changed by culture. 

The Oxycoccus macrocarpus is a led acid fruit, high- 
ly valued as a sweetmeat or for tarts. Jt is well known 
that this excellent fruit grows in many parts of our 
country spontaneously ; and that the mere gathering 
it, is all that bountiful nature requires at our hands ; but 
it is well worth cultivating where there are none. 
This fruit will keep a whole year, if properly preserved 
in close covered stone jars, and is considered, by many, 
as superior to the best currant jelly, and may be kept 
for many months in a raw state without injury. 

The Oxycoccus palustris, bears edible berries which 
are gathered wild both in England and Scotland, and 



200 CRANBERRY. 

made into tarts. Lightfoot says "twenty or thirty pounds 
worth are sold each market day, for five or six weeks 
together in the town of Langtown, on the borders of 
Cumberland." 

Nicol says the American species is more easily cul- 
tivated than the English, but is inferior to it in fla- 
vour. There is reason to believe that the quality of 
the fruit of each of these species is subject to variations, 
which have not yet been practically distinguished. 
Their cultivation is now so well understood, that they 
may both be considered with propriety as inmates of 
the fruit garden. 

It is customary in England to prepare beds on the 
edges of ponds, which are banked up so as to admit of 
the wet getting underneath them ; bog or peat earth is 
considered essential for the roots to run in ; but it has 
been discovered that they can be cultivated in damp 
situations of a garden, with a top dressing of peat or 
bog earth, and if they are once suited as to soil, the 
plants, will multiply so as to cover the bed in the course 
of a year or two, by means of their long runners, which 
take root at different points. From a very small space 
a very large quantity of Cranberries may be gathered; 
and they prove a remarkably regular crop, scarcely af- 
fected by the state of the weather, and not subject to the 
attacks of insects. Sir Joseph Banks gives an account 
in (Hort. Trans. I. 71,) of his success in cultivating 
this fruit. *' In one year viz. 1813, from 326 square 
feet, or a bed about eighteen feet square, three and a 
half Winchester bushels of berries were produced, 
which, at five bottles to the gallon, gives one hundred 
and forty bottles, each sufficient for one cranberry pie, 
from two and a half square feet.^^ 



CURRANT. 201 

CURRANT. Groseiller a grappes. Rihes, 

This is a genus of well known shrubs much cultivat- 
ed for their fruii. It is a native of the northern parts 
of Europe, and found in hedges and woods in England ; 
and there are some species indigenous in America. 
The fruit, being of an agreeable subacid taste, is gen- 
erally relished both as a dessert and in pies and taris ; 
it is also much used in' making wine, and is grown to a 
considerable extent for that purpose in Essex, Kent, 
and about Pershore in Worcestershire England. There 
are ten species cultivated in the garden of the Horti- 
cultural Society of London, atChiswick; comprising 
twelve varieties of red, ten of white, five kinds of black, 
together with champagne, mountain, rock, upright, 
Pensylvanian, &c. Any number of varieties of the red 
and white may be procured from sowing the seeds, 
but they are generally propagated by cuttings of the last 
year's wood, which should be of sufficient length to form 
handsome plants, with a clear stem, ten inches high. 
They will grow in almost any soil, but prosper best in 
one loamy and rich. The best flavoured fruit is pro- 
duced from plants in an open i'vee situation, but the}'' 
will grow under the shade of walls or trees, and either 
as low bashes or trained as espaliers. They bear chief- 
ly on spurs, and on young wood of from one to three 
years growth, and therefore in pruning most of the young 
wood, should be cui to within two or three buds of that 
where it originated. After the plants are furnished 
with full heads, they produce many surperfluous and ir- 
regular shoots every summer, crowding the general 
bearers, so as to require regulating, and curtailing, both 
in the young growth of the year, and old wood. The 
principal part of the work may be done in winter, or 
early in the spring ; but a preparatory part should be 
performed in summer ; to eradicate suckers, and thin 
the surpei-fluous shoots of the year, where so crowded as 
to exclude the sun and air from the fruit. In training 
espaliers and for standards, two branches are laid in a 
horizontal direction along the bottom of the trellis, per- 
19 



202 ELDER. 

haps half a foot from the surface of the earth, and the 
growth from these of all upright shoots, which will ad- 
mit of being arranged at the distance of five or six inches 
of each other, is encouraged. Fan standards are some- 
times trained with the branches radiating from the 
crown of the stem. 

The black Currant or Ribes nigrum, is common in 
moist woods in Russia and Siberia ; its culture is simi- 
lar to that of the red, but as it is less apt to bear on 
spurs, than on young wood, the shoots should not be 
so much shortened in this as in the other. 

Currant bushes will require to be planted at differ- 
ent distances according to situation and mode of train- 
ing &c. When planted in beds, borders, or squares they 
should be six feet apart, but if trained as espRliers, 
they will require to be eight feet apart. 

Many people dislike the flavour of black Currants, 
they are therefore not much used in the kitchen or 
dessert, and seldom in wine making. They make a 
jelly or jam in estimation as a gargle, for inflammatory 
sore throats. " In Russia and Siberia, wine is made 
of the berries alone, or fermented with honey, and with 
or without spirits. In Siberia they make a drink of 
the leaves ; these tincture common spirits so as to re- 
semble brandy, and a few of them dried and mixed with 
black tea, answer all the purposes of the green ma- 
terial." — (Loudon.) 

All kinds of Currants may be forced by placing them 
in any forcing department in January or February ; 
they will produce ripe fruit in April and May. 



ELDER. SuREAU. Sambucus. 

There are several species and varieties of the Elder, 
in various parts of Asia, Europe and America. It is 
common in damp woods and hedges, and is sometimes 
cultivated on the bounderies of gardens. There are 



FIG. 203 

black, yellow and green berried, cultivated in the 
London society's garden. The fruit is in great de- 
mand in various parts of England for making elder 
wine, of the expressed juice ; a powerful, warming, and 
enlivening article in cold weather. 

Sambucus nigra with its variations, and Sambucus 
racemosa^ or red berried, are very showy in shrubberies 
when in flower and fruit. The kinds cultivated for 
their fruit are chiefly the white and the black. The 
scarlet and green berried may also be used like the 
black, and are very ornamental for the shrubbery. 

As the plant will grow any where, either in open or 
shady situations, it may be planted in any out ground 
or waste spot, in single standards, or in rows to assist 
in forming boundary fences. If planted as a hedge, 
and suffered to grow up untrimmed it will produce an a- 
bundance of berries for use. They are all easily pro- 
pagated by seed sown as soon as ripe, and also by cut- 
tings of the young shoots in the spring. 

The leaves of the dwarf Elder are said to drive away 
mice, and the berries dye blue. " The tree" professo* 
Martyn observes *' is a whole magazine of physic to 
rustic practitioners, nor is it quite neglected by more 
regular ones. An excellent healing ointment is made 
of the green inner bark, which is also purgative in mod- 
erate, and diuretic in small does. A decoction of the 
flowers promotes expectoration, and they give a pecu- 
liar flavour to vinegar. The French put layers of the 
berries, in heaps or casks of apples, to which they 
communicate a most agreeable odour." 



FIG. FiGuiER. Ficus carica, 7 

There are many species of the Fig, which are all 
natives of warm climates. In some parts of Asia, and 
in the South of Europe, they are always grown as 
standards ; and the fruiti green and dried, forms an im- 



204 FIG. 

portant part of tlie food of the inhabitants. The Lon- 
don Horticultural catalogue contains the names of seventy 
five sorts ; and Messrs. Prince, of Flushing, have up- 
wards of forty in their collection, some of which are 
select sorts from France and Italy. It is cultivated in 
England as a fruit tree, and, in warm situations, will 
ripen its fruit in the open air. In Sussex, on the sea 
coast, it ripens its fruit on standards. Some of the best 
in England, are at Arundel Castle ; and there is a Fig 
orchard of one hundred trees at Tarring, near Worth- 
ing. Those at Arundel, are planted six or eight feet 
apart, and from a single stem allowed to continue 
branching conical heads, pruning chiefly irregular and 
redundant growths, and cutting out decayed or injured 
wood. 

The Fig tree may be propagated from seed, cuttings, 
layers, suckers, roots, and by grafting ; the most gene- 
rally approved method is by layers or cuttings, which 
come into bearing the second, and sometimes the first 
year. No tree is more robust or more prolific, even 
plants in pots or tubs, kept in a temperature adapted 
for the Orange tree, will fruit freely and ripen two crops 
a year, and by being taken good care of through the 
winter, will go on growing and ripening fruit without 
intermission. 

When the Fig is planted in a garden, a good loamy 
soil should be provided ; and it may be trained to close 
fences or trellises in sheltered situations. At the ap- 
proach of winter they must be protected ; those trained 
to close fences may be secured through the winter, b^'^ 
a covering of matting ; and such as may be in open 
situations should be liberated from the trellis and laid 
down close to the ground, and co*^ered three or four 
inches with earth ; or trenches may be formed of that 
depth, sufficient to contain the branches, which should 
be fastened down with hooked pegs, without cramping 
them ; such of the strong central branches as will not 
bend, may be enveloped in litter. They should be 
pruned before they are laid down in November, and or^ 



FILBERT AND HAZLENUT. 205 

being raised again in April, they may be trained as be- 
fore. Figs may be cuhivated in private gardens as 
easily as the vine. 



FILBERT AND HAZLENUT. Noisetier Aveli- 
NiER. Corylus, 

The Filbert, in many varieties, and also the com- 
mon Hazlenut, grows spontaneously in the woods of 
Britain, and some few varieties are indigenous in this 
country. The kinds of Filberts generally cultivated, 
are the white, red, cob, clustered, and frizzled ; of each 
of which, thete are many varieties. As this shrub is 
so easily cultivated, it is a matter of astonishment that 
the nuts from tiiis genus of plants, are so scarce in our 
markets. In different parts of England there are Fil- 
bert orchards. In the Filbert grounds about Maidstone, 
in Kent, it is a prevailing practice to cultivate Hops, 
standard Apples, and Cherries, among the Filberts ; 
when these come into a bearing state, the Hops are 
destroyed or transplanted elsewhere, and the fruit trees 
only suffered to remain. The spare ground, is then 
planted with Gooseberries, Currants, &c. The red 
Filbert is allowed to have a finer flavour than the 
white. The cob-nut is large, with a thick shell, but 
the kernel is sweet, and of considerable size. The 
Barcelona is a good large nut with a thin shell. The 
crossford is very sweet, kernels well, and the tree is a 
great bearer. 

All the different kinds may be grown as dwarf stan- 
dards ; or they will bear very well if planted in clumps ; 
but as they produce an abundance of suckers, these 
should be parted off frequently, and planted m a nursery 
bed for stock; as the bearing plants will cease to produce 
fruit in any quantity, if the suckers are allowed to form 
a thick bush. They may be propagated by seed, by 
18* 



206 GOOSEBERRY* 

suckers, by layers, or by grafting in the spring upon 
seedling or sucker stocks. 

The Filbert bears principally upon the sides of the 
upper young branches, and from small shoots which 
proceed from the bases of side branches cut off the 
preceding year. The leading shoot is every year to be 
shortened, and every shoot that is left to produce fruit 
should be clipped ; which prevents the tree from being 
exhausted in making wood at the end of the branch. — 
Such branches as may have borne fruit, must be cut out 
every year, in order to promote the growth of a supply 
of young fruit-bearing branches. 



GOOSEBERRY. Groseiller. Ribes grossularia 
S^ uva crispa. 

The Gooseberry is a native of several parts of Europe, 
and is indigenous in America, as far north as 68. It is 
cultivated in greater perfection in England than in any 
other part of the world. In Spain and Italy, this fruit 
is scarcely known. In France it is neglected. In 
Lancashire, England, and some parts of the adjoining 
counties, almost every cottager cultivates the Goose- 
berry, with a view to prizes given at what are called 
Gooseberry Prize Meetings ; of these there is annually 
published an account, with the names and weight of the 
successful sorts, in what is called the Manchester Goose- 
berry Book, The prizes vary from ten shillings to five 
and ten pounds sterling. There are meetings held in 
the spring to " make up," as the term is, the sorts, the 
persons, and the conditions of exhibition ; and in August 
to weigh and taste the fruit, and determine the prizes. 

The list of the Lancashire growers contains upwards 
of three hundred names, from which the following are 
selected, as in most repute for flavor ; some of these 
have been known to weigh over thirty pennyweights . 



GOOSEBERRY. 207 

jf?erfs.— Roaring Lion — Lancashire Lad— -British 
Crown — Prince Regent — Pastime — Jubilee — Sir John 
Overall — Bang up — Huntsman — Smolensko — Top 
Sawyer — Elisha — Fox Hunter — Alwick's King — Bog- 
gard — Abraham Newland — Sir Francis Burdett — Beau- 
ty of England. 

Yellows, — Radical — Cottage Girl — Viper — Queen<-- 
Sovereign — Husbandman — Bunkershill — Rockwood — 
Charm — Gunner — Bright Venus — Cheshire Cheese. 

Green, Jolly Angler — Elijah — Ocean — Indepen- 
dent—Favorite —Profit — Troubler — Green wood — Lau- 
rel — Mountain — Green Gage — Farmer's Gloiy — Heart 
of Oak. 

White, — Smiling Beauty— Cheshire Lrss — Conquer- 
ing Hero — First Rate — White Lion — Queen Ann — 
Queen Caroline — Bonny Lass — Sheba Queen — Merry 
Lass — Queen Mary— Goverapss — Wellington — White- 
smith — Nature — Maid of the Mill. 

The Gooseberry may be propagated by all the modes 
applicable to trees or shrubs, but that by cuttings is usu- 
ally adopted for continuing varieties, and that by seeds 
for procuring them. The cuttings should be taken from 
promising shoots just before the leaves begin to fall in 
the autumn ; the greatest part of the buds should be 
taken off, leaving only two or three buds on the top. — 
Cut them at such a length as the strength and ripeness 
of the wood will bear; and plant them in good pulveri- 
zed soil. On the approach of winter, lay some moss or 
litter around them ; and by being well cultivated they 
will be fit to transplant when they are a year old. 
When bushes are procured from the public nurseries let 
the general supply be in such kinds as will ripen in suc- 
cession. They may be planted in the khchen garden, 
in single rows along the sides of the walks or paths, or 
in compartments by themselves, in rows from six to 
eight feet apart from row to row, and five or six feet 
apart in the rows ; or in small gardens, they may be 
trained to a single tall stem, and tied to a stake : this, 



208 GOOSEBERRY. 

though six or eight feet high, occasions scarcely any 
shade, and it does not occupy much room, nor exclude 
air ; while at the same time the stem becomes close 
hung with berries, and makes a pleasant appearance in 
that state. Persons of taste may train them on arched 
trellises, which, if judiciously managed, the ground 
around them may be more easily cultivated ; the fruit 
may be kept from being splashed with rain, and may 
be easily gathered when wanted, or p^^eserved by shading 
with mats, &c. Those who may have a choice of soil, 
and site, should fix on a good, rich, loamy earth ; and 
plant some of the choice kinds in a northern and east- 
ern aspect, near the fence, to come in late in succession. 
The Gooseberry produces its fruit not only on the 
shoots of the preceding year, and on shoots two or three 
years old, but also on spurs or snag,s arising from the 
older branches along the sides ; but the former afford 
the largest fruit. The shoots retained for bearers should 
therefore be left at full length, or nearly so ; the first 
pruning should be done before the buds swell, so as not 
to endanger their being rubbed off in the operation. 
Cut out all superfluous cross shoots, and prune long 
ramblers and low stragglers to some well placed lateral 
or eye ; retain a sufficiency of the young well situated 
laterals and terminals, to form successional bearers. In 
cutting out superfluous and decayed wood, be careful to 
retain a leading shoot at the end of a principal branch. 
The superfluous young laterals on the good main branch- 
es, instead of being taken off clean, may be cut into lit- 
tle stubs of one or two eyes, which will send out fruit 
buds and spurs. Some persons not pruning the Goose- 
berry bush on right principles, cause it to shoot crowd- 
edly, full of young wood in summer, from which the 
fruit is always small, and does not ripen freely with full 
flavour; on which account it is an important point in 
pruning, to keep the middle of the head open and clear, 
and to let the occasional siiortening of the shoots be spar- 
ing and moderate. Between the bearing branches keep a 



GRAPE. 209 

regulated distance of at least six inches at the extremi- 
ties, which will render them fertile bearers of good 
fruit. 

The prize cultivators of this fruit in Lancashire, are 
particular in preparing a very rich soil, and they water 
occasionally with liquor which drains from dung-hills ; 
and there are some, who, not content with watering at 
the root and over the top, place a small saucer of water 
under each Gooseberry, only six or eight of which are 
left on a bush ; this is technically «',alled suckling. — 
There are others that ring some of the branches ; this is 
done by cutting out small circles of bark round them ; 
and by pinching off a great part of the young wood, the 
strength may be thrown to the fruit. Unripe Goose- 
ben ies may be preserved in bottles against winter : 
some, after filling the bottles in a dry state, stand them 
in a slow oven, or in hot water, so as to heat them gra- 
dually through without cracking them ; the berries will 
keep green a whole year, by being close corked and 
sealed, as soon as cold. 

The Gooseberry may be forced in pots or boxes 
placed in pits, or in the peach house or vinery. *' Hay 
plants in pots in November, removes to the peach house 
in January, and has ripe fruit in the end of April, which 
he sends to table growing on the plants." — ('Hort. 
Trans. 4, 415.) 



GRAPE. ViGNE. VitiSf vinefera 4* vulpina. 

The Grape Vine is described by Loudon as a trf^il- 
ing deciduous hardy shrub, with a twisted irregular stem, 
and long flexible branches, decumbenr, like those of 
the bramble, or supporting themselves when near other 
trees, by means of tendrils, like the pea. The leaves 
are large, lobed, entire, or serrated and downy, or 
smooth , green in summer, but when mature, those of 
varieties in which the predominating colour is red, 



210 GRAPE. 

constantly change to, or are tinged with some shade of 
that colour ; and those of white, green, or yellow grapes^ 
as constantly change to a yellow, and are never in the 
least tinged either with purple, red, or scarlet. The 
breadth of the leaves varies from five to seven or ten 
inches, and the length of the foot stalks from four to 
eight inches. The flowers are produced on the shoots 
of the same year, which shoots generally proceed from 
those of the year pn.'ceding : they are in the form of a 
raceme, of a greenish white colour, and fragrant odour, 
appearing in the open air in June ; and the fruit which 
is of the berry kind, attain such maturity as the season 
and situation admit, by the middle or end of Septem- 
ber. The berry or grape is generally globular, but of- 
ten ovate, oval, oblong, or finger shaped ; the colours 
green, red, yellow, amber, and black, or a variegation 
of two or more of these colours. The skin is smooth, 
the pulp and juice of a dulcet, poignant, elevated gen- 
erous flavour. Every berry ought to enclose five small 
heart or pear shaped stones ; though, as some generally 
fail, they have seldom more than three, and some vari- 
eties, as they attain a certain age, as the Ascalon or sul- 
tana raisin, none. The weight of a berry depends not 
only on its size but on the thickness of its skin, and tex- 
ture of the flosh, the lightest being the thi« skinned and 
juicy sorts, as the sweet water or muscadine ; and what 
are considered as large berried of these varieties, will 
weigh from five to seven penny-weights, and measure 
from one to two-thirds of an inch in girth. A good 
sized bunch of the same sorts may weigh from two to 
six pounds; but bunches have been grown of the Syri- 
an grape, in Syria, weighing forty pounds, and in En- 
gland weighing from ten to nineteen pounds, A single 
Vine in a large pot, or grown as a dwarf standard in the 
manner practiced in the vineyards in the north of 
France, ordinarily produces from three to nine bunch- 
es : but by superior management in gardens in England, 
the number of bunches is prodigiously increased, and 
one plant, that of the red Hamburgh sort, in the vinery 



GRAPE. 211 

of the royal gardens at Hampton Court, has produced 
two thousand two hundred bunches, averaging one pound 
each, or in all nearly a ton. That at Valentines in Es- 
sex, has produced two thousand bunches of nearly the 
same average weight. 

The age to which the Vine will attain in warm clim- 
ates is so great as not to be known. It is supposed to 
be equal or even to surpass that of the Oak. Pliny 
speaks of a Vine which had existed six hundred years ; 
and Bose says, there are Vines in Burgundy upwards of 
four hundred years of age. 

In Italy there are vineyards which have been in a 
flourishing state for upwards of three centuries, and 
Miller tells us, that a vineyard a hundred years old is 
reckoned young. The extent of the branches of the 
Vine, in certam situations and circumstances, is com- 
mensurate with its produce and age. In the hedges of 
Italy, and woods of America, they are found overtop- 
ping the highest Elm and Poplar trees ; and in England 
one plant trained against a row of houses in Northal- 
lerton (lately dead) covered a space in 1585, of one 
hundred and thirty-seven square yards; it was then 
above one hundred years old. That at Hampton Court, 
nearly of the same age, occupies above one hundred 
and sixteen square yards ; and that at Valentine, in Es- 
sex, above one hundred and forty-seven square yards. 
The size to which the trunk or stem sometimes attains 
in foreign countries, is so great as to have afforded 
planks fifteen inches broad, furniture, and statues; and 
the Northallerton Vine, above mentioned, in 1785, mea- 
sured four feet in circumference near the ground, and 
one branch of the Hampton Court Vine measures one 
hundred and fourteen feet in length. Vine timber is 
of great durability. 

The varieties of the Grape in countries where it is 
grown for the wine press, are as numerous as the vine- 
yards ; for as these for the most part differ in soil, as- 
pect, elevation or otherwise, and as the Vine is greatly 
the child of local circumstances, its habits soon become 



212 GRAPE, 

adapted to those in which it is placed. When it is con- 
sidered that a vineyard once planted will last two or 
three centuries, it will readily be conceived that the 
nature of a variety may be totally changed during only 
a part of that time. The varieties mostly in esteem 
for wine making, are small berries, and bunches with an 
austere taste. The Burgundy, as modified by different 
soils and situations, may be considered the most gene- 
ral vineyard Grape of France, from Champagne or 
Marne, to Marseilles or Bordeaux. 

The best wine in Italy and Spain, is also made from 
Grapes of this description ; but in both countries many 
of the larger berried sorts are grown on account of 
their producing more liquor. The sweet wines as the 
Malmsey, Maderia, Constantia, Toka} , &c. are made 
from sweet berried Grapes allowed to remain on the 
plants till over ripe. That wine is the strongest, and 
has most flavour, in which both the skins and stones are 
bruised and fermented. The same thing is the case in 
making cider ; but in both processes bruising the stones 
or kernels is often neglected. The Vine was formerly 
extensively cultivated in Britain for the wine press, but 
its culture is now confined to the garden as a dessert 
fruit ; and they have in that country not only the best 
varieties, but they grow the fruit to a larger size and of 
a higher flavour than is done any where else in the 
world ; this is owing to the perfection of their artificial 
climates, and the great attention paid lo soil and sub- 
soil, and other points of culture. The fruit is produ- 
ced in some vineiys during every month of the year; 
and in the London markets (generally) it is to be had 
in the highest degree of perfection from March to Jan- 
uary. 

The Vine will thrive in any soil that has a dry bot- 
tom ; and in such as are rich and deep it will grow 
luxuriantly and produce abundance of large fruit ; irt 
shallow, dry, chalky or gravelly soils, it will produce 
less fruit, but of better flavour. Speechly recommends 
dung reduced to a black mould, the dust and dirt of 



GRAPE. 213 

roads, the oiTal of anipjals or biitchers' manure, horn 
shavings, old rags, shavirigs of leather, bone dust, dung 
cf deer and sheep, human excrement, 'when duly mel- 
iorated by time, a winter's frost, and repeatedly turning 
over. Abercrombie says that dung out of a cow houss 
perfectly rotted, is a fine manure for the Vine ; he re- 
commends drainings from dung-hills to be used over 
the ground once in ten or fourteen days from the 
time the buds rise, till the fruit is set, and that fresh 
horse dung be spread over the ground in autumn as a 
manure, and also to protect the roots from the inclem- 
ency of the weather ; some however disapprove of 
manuring high, as being calculated to produce wood 
rather than fruit. 

The general mode of propagating the Vine is by cut- 
tings, either a foot or more long, with a portion of tTO 
year old wood, or short, with only one bud, or one bud 
and a half a joint, ifcc, Vint's are to be had at the 
JNurseries propagated either from layers, cuttings or 
eyes ; but plants raised from cuttings are generally pre- 
ferred ; many are of opinion that it is a matter ox 
indifference from which class the choice is made provid- 
ed the plants are well rooted, and in good health, and 
the wood ripe, A mode of very general utility, is to 
select the plants in the nursery a year before wanted, 
and to order them to be potted in very large pots. Va- 
rieties without end are raised from seed, and it is 
thought that by propagating from the seeds of succes- 
sive generations some sorts may ultimately be procured 
better adapted for ripening their fruit in the open air 
than now known. A seedling Vine carefully treated 
will show blossoms in its fourth or fifth year ; say that it 
produces a fair specimen of its fruit in the sixth year, 
then a new generation may be obtained so often ; but 
seeds ought never to be sown except for experiment. 

William Robert Prince Esq. in his treatise on the 
Vine, published 1830, enumerates about five bundled 
and fifty varieties in cultivation in the vineyard attach- 
ed to the Linnsean Botanic Garden at Flushing, includ- 
ing about ninety American native grapes ; but no si;f- 
20 



214 GflAPE. 

ficient evidence has as yet been exliibi(et], of vine- • 
yards flourishing here equal to what tliey do in Europe. 
Mr. Loubat has succeeied with some of tlie foreign 
varieties at his vinc3^ard on Long Island ; and consid- 
erable success, of late years, has attended the cultiva- 
tion of s.me of the varieties of table fruit in private 
gardens. The following have been found to succeed 
best in the vicinity of New- York : the J^weetwater, the 
Chasselas, the Muscadine, the White Tokay, the Black 
Haniburgh, the Blue Cortiga, the Miller Burgundy, the 
Austrian Muscadel, the Messlier, the Morilon, the 
Black Prince, Blanc, and some excellent seedling sorts 
from the imported Lisbon Grapes. To plant a vinery 
for a full crop of good Grapes of various flavours, take 
a white and red Muscat, a white and red or black 
Muscadine, a white and red Fronti-nac, a black or 
red Muscadel, a white R:jisin grape, a white and red 
Hamburgh, a Sit well's and red Sweetwaters, a white and 
red Nice, a black Damascus, a red Syracuse and a 
black Constantia. The above list contains some of 
the most esteemed table Grapes of all colours and 
flavours, which will ripen in succession. The most 
preferable kinds of our native Grapes for private gar- 
dens are the ' Catawba,' ihe York, (Pa.) ' Black Madei- 
ra,' the Schuylkill Bluscadel and the Isabella. To these 
may be added the Scuppernong or JHicknian grape, 
which is said to be larger than the Fox Grape of a de- 
lightful perfume, and when ripe, it is of a yellowish 
white colour." 

Previous to planting Vines, care should be taken, that 
the ground be well pulverized aud prepared for 
some distance around, for the roots to spread. 1 he 
soil should be deep and dry and some rich compost or 
vegetpble mould shoald be used around the roots in fil- 
ling in ; a handfull or two of wet ashes to each plant is 
recommended by Mr. Loubat as beneficial ; and he re- 
commends the planting to be done in the month of 
March, or early in April. 

There are various methods adopted in training and 
pruning the Vine ; and it appears impossible to lay 



GKAFE. 215 

clown rules to suit every cultivator. The Vine having, 
like other trees, a tendency to produce its most vigor- 
ous slioots at the extrctuities of the branches, and parti- 
cuiaih so at those vvhicli are situaied liighest, it gene- 
rally happen*, when it is trained high, that the greater 
po; iion of the fi uit is borne near the top ; and it has 
bv'ien observed, that the tVuit produced on the vigorous 
shoots, which naturally grou at the extremitio^ of the 
long branches, is generally more abundant, and of finer 
([uahty, than that produced on the short lateral ones, 
from wiiich circumstance, high traiiiiiig seems to be the 
best calcul ited for private gardens. 

In some parts of Italy, Vines are cultivated together 
with Mulberry trees, and are allowed to mingle and 
hang in festoon?; thus silk and wine are produced on 
the same spot ; and it is considered that when Vines 
are allowed to grow over trees; on the sides of a house, 
or on bowers, or extended on tall poles, without much 
trimming, they will produce more fruit, and are not so 
liable to mildew. Dr. G. W. Chapman, of New- York, 
having paid some attention to the cultivation of native 
Grapes, observes, that the Vine, in its natural state, sel- 
dom or ever throws out bearing shoots until it reaches 
the top of the tree on which it ascends, when the branch- 
es take a horizontal or descending position. From this 
fact, he considers horizontal training preferable to that 
in the fan shape. From the experiments he has made, 
he has found that the shoots coming from those parts of 
the branches bent downwards, are more productive than 
from those ascending ; he considers deep digging around 
the vine, even to the destruction of some of the extend- 
ing roots, as calculated to promote the growth of more 
fruit and less wood, than if allowed to spread near the 
surface ; and he disapproves stopping the shoots before 
the fruit until July. 

Mr. VVilliara Wilson, of Clermont, leaves his Vines 
their whole length at the time of trimming in October. 
In November tljey are laid on the ground at full length, 
fastened down with pins, and covered lightly with earth ; 
m this state they lie all the winter. In April, as soon 



as the weather will perniit, they are uncoverei], and hil 
lying on the ground ten or twelve days ; by tlie first of 
May, the Vines are trained to stakes or poles of the 
length of ten feet and upwards; and by tlie middle of 
June, the stakes are entirely covered by new shoots of 
the Vine, and with plenty of fruit, which ripens in Sep- 
tember. Mr, W. says, that until he pursued his present 
course, his fruit was frequently blasted and mildewed, 
but that he has now Vines twenty or tliirty feet long, 
which run up the fruit trees adjoining ; others, being 
carried up eight or ten feet, are stretched horizontally. 
It is seldom he gathers fruit within three or four feet of 
the ground, and he has never any blasted or infected 
with mildew; he keeps the g:tound cultivated by fre- 
quent hoeing and raking ; but he says he has used no 
manure for ten years or more. 

Edward H. Bonsall, Esq. has a vineyard of Ameri- 
can Grapes at Germantown, Pa., in a high state of cul- 
tivation. In page 331 of Princess Treatise on the 
Vine, is a letter to the author, coitaining some valua- 
ble information, from which the following is extracted 
as appropriate to our subject : 

Mr. Bonsali's vineyard is situated between the Schuyl- 
kill and Delaware rivers, four miles from the former, 
and eight from the latter, at an elevation of three hun- 
dred feet above their level, having an aspect facing S. 
S. E., with a substratum of light isinglass soil, and seems 
well suited to the purpose. He says, *' from my expe- 
rience, both on my premises and at other places, it is 
my opinion that we should reject almost all the foreign 
varieties, especially where our object in cultivating them 
is to make wine." He has upwards of thirty varieties 
of American Vines under cultivation ; he recommends 
})reparing the ground by ploughing with two ploughs 
with strong teams, one immediately behind the other, 
in f/tc same furrow^ each of them sei deep; and after 
the ploughing is completed, to be harrowed thoroughly. 
Then in the direction the rows are intended to be 
yjL-inled, p irailel furrows are run across the field, at the 
distance ofeiglit f^et from each other j these arc after- 



GRAPE. 217' 

war^s crossed at i iglit angles, five feet asunder. In the 
opening, at the iiUersection of these furrows, cuttings 
from nine to twelve inches long are planted. In this 
manner, nearly two thouscind Vines are extended over 
an acre of ground, arranged with a view to the Vines 
being, when grown, at distances of four by seven feet 
from each other; to this end, he frequently plants two 
cuttings in a place, some of which are used to fill up 
with, in caso of failures. He says, that in 1829 he 
planted in nursery beds from two to ihree thousand cut- 
tings as late as the middle of April to the middle of 
May, with better success than at any previous time. 
*' In this case, the slips should be kept in a cool damp 
place, a cellar, or ice-house, where vegetation may be 
held in check. To insure their freshness, sprinkle them 
occasionally with water. Previous to planting, cut them 
a proper length, and place them, with their lower ends 
three or four inches in water, in a tub above ground, 
where they may soak three or four dpys. At this sea- 
son the temperature will be likely to be s^'.ch as will spur 
vegetation at once into healthy and vigorous action. 
The fall, or early in the spring, is preferable for rooted 
plants. In the autumn of the first year, after the frost 
has killed the unripe part of the young shoots, they 
should be pruned down to the matuie firm wood, and 
then with a hoe hilled over with the surrounding soil^ 
which will completely protect them through the winter. 
If left without protection the first winter, many of them 
will perish." 

Mr. Bonsall says his mode of training, as far as he is 
aware of it, is entirely peculiar to himself, which he 
describes as follows: " I take chestnut posts, the thick- 
ness of large fence rails, seven feet in length ; these I 
plant along the rows, at distances often feet from each 
other, and at such a depth as to leave five feet above 
the surface of the earth ; then taking three nails to each 
post, and driving them to within half an inch of their 
heads, the first two and a half feet from the ground, a 
second mid- way between that and the top,' and the third 
near the top I attach No. 11 iron v/ire (one degree 
20* 



'218 (5KAP£.- 

soft is best) firnily to one of the nails In the cinl post., 
• pass on to the next, and stnucliing it straight and tight, 
give it one turn round a nail in the same lino as tiio one 
to which it was first attached. Having in this n^anner 
extended it along the three courses, the whale length of 
the row, m}' trellis is formed. I have had a portion of 
ray vineyard fitted up in this way for three years, and 
experience has confirmed the superior fitness of the 
plan. It is not its least recommendation, that it pos- 
sesses in a degree the character of labour saving machi- 
nery. A very important and extensive labour-making 
portion of the operations in the vineyard during the 
summer, is the attention required by the growing siioots 
to keep them properly trained up. They grow and ex- 
tend tli-jraselves so rapidly, tliat where the strips of the 
trellis are lath, or where poles are used to support Vines, 
unless very closely watched, they fall down in every 
direction, in a very unsightly and injurious manner. 
Mere the wiie being small, the tendrils or claspers 
eagerly and firmly attach theujselves to it, and thus woi^k 
for themselves^ in probably two-thirds of the instances 
where the attention of the vigneron would otherwise be 
required. There is free access afforded to the sun and 
air, and no hold for the wind to strain the frame," &,c. 
Mr. Bonsall says further, " I shall not enter into a mi- 
nute description of my manner of pruning, but may 
just say, that after the vines have attained a full capa- 
city for production, (say five years from the cutting,) my 
view is to prepare them for bearing an average of fifty 
clusters to each, leaving several shoots of from three to 
live joints on a vine for this purpose. When fresh prun- 
ed, they will not be more than four feet high, at their 
greatest age." 

Although the man of taste and capacity for improv- 
ing on the improvements of others may have gleaned 
ideas from tlie above extracts sufficient to enable him 
to cultivate the vine in his own garden, it may be neces- 
sary to direct the reader*s attention to the different me- 
thods of cultivating this excellent fruit in varied situa* 
lions. 



GRAPE. 21S^ 

A Vine iria;y be trained horizontally unoor the coping 
of a close fence or wall, to a great distance, and the 
borders in an east, south-east, and southern aspect of 
large gardens may be furnished witli a variety of sorts 
which will ripen in great perfection, without encumber- 
ing the borders ; or the plants may bo trained low, like 
currant bushe.=, in which case, three or more shoots- 
eighteen inches or two feet in length, may diverge from 
the stem near the ground, to supply young wood annu- 
ally for bearing. The summer pruning consists in re- 
moving shoots which have no fruit, or arc not required 
for the succeeding season ; in topping fruit-bearing 
shoots, and also those for succeeding years, when incon- 
veniently long and straggling. For as by this mode the 
shoots destined to bear are all cut into three or four 
eyes at the winter pruning, no inconvenience arises 
from their throwing out laterals near the extremilieSj 
which stopping will generally cause them to do. In 
training Vines as standards, the single stem at bottom 
is not allowed to exceed six or eight inches in height, 
and from this two or three shoots are trained, or tied to 
a single stake of three or four feet in length. These 
shoots bear each two or three bunches, within a foot or 
eighteen inches of the ground, and they are annually 
succeeded by others which spring from their base, that 
is, from the crown or top of the dwarf m ain stem. This 
is the mode practiced in the north of France and in 
Gcrmanv ; in the south of France and in Italy, the 
base or main stem is often higher, and furnished with 
side shoots, in order to afford a great supply of bearing 
wood, which is tied to one or more poles of greater 
height. The summer pruning in this case, is nearly 
the same as in the last. In the winter pruning, the 
wood that has borne is cut out, and the new wood short- 
ened, in cold situations, to three or four eyes, and in 
warmer places to six or eight eyes. 

Of the various methods of pruning and training the 
Vine suited to private gardens and vineries, the follow- 
ing are selected from Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gar- 
dening : 



^S© GRAPE. 

Speechly's mode of pruning and training the Vine 
against a wall or trellis, is to cut it down to two eyes or 
buds ; the next winter, the shools of the preceding sum- 
mer are shortened each to one eye; two Icciding shoots 
are produced, trained upright during sumnit-r, and in 
the following winter headed down to from three to five 
feet each, and led in horizontally, parrdlt^l to the ground, 
and about a foot above it ; these main stems produce 
shoots frOni every eye, but only a few are selected, 
which stand from a foot to fifreen inches apart, and these 
are trained upwards during summer, and in winter eve- 
ry oiher one is cut out to v/ithin two or three eyes of 
the main stem, and the rest shortened to une third of 
the length of the trellis. The following summer, the 
third, a moderate crop will bo produced from the side 
shoots of the precedii.g year's wood, and from the spurs 
of the main stem. In tiie winter following, the shoots 
which have produced fruit are shorrened down to two 
eyes, except the leaders to the long shoots, which are 
left with four or five eyes. Next summer, the fourth, 
the top of the wall or trellis will be reached by the 
leading shoots, and the spurs are now allowed to pro- 
duce each one leader. In winter both of these leaders 
are headed down to four or five eyes, and the side shoots 
from the old wood to one or two eyes. In the follow- 
ing summer, the fifth, a full crop of Grapes is produced 
in every part. This constitutes one course or rotation, 
and the next, and all thf future courses, extend only to 
four years, in which the ohjeci is to renew the upright 
bearers every fourth year, the intervening spurs furnish- 
ing shoots to succeed them. This method is called per- 
pendicular, spur, or Dutch training ; but few who adopt 
it pursue it so regularly as to renew the old upright 
shoots every fourth year, by which, and for other caus- 
es, and chiefly the small quantity of fruit produced dur- 
ing the first four years, it has fallen into disrepute. 

Abercrombie's methods of pruning established Vines, 
admit of much diversity, as the plants are in different 
situations. Without reckoning the cuttmg down of 
young or weak plants alternately to the lowermobt suia- 



GRAPE. 221 

mer shoots, which is hut a temporary course, three dif- 
ferent systems of pruning liave tlieir advocates. In the 
first method, one perpendicular leader is trained from 
the stem, at the side of which, lo the right and left, the 
ramifications spring. When the plant is established, 
the immediate bearers or shoots of the growing season, 
and the mother bearers, or shoots of the last year's 
growth, are thus managed. Soon after the growing 
season has commenced, such rising shoots as either are 
in fruit and fit to be retained, or are eligibly placed for 
mother bearers next season, are laid in, either horizon- 
tally, or with a slight diagonal rise, at something less 
than d foot distance, measuring from one bearing shoot 
to the next : the rising shoots, intended to form young 
woody should be taken as near the origin of the branch 
as a good one offers, to allow of cutting away, beyond 
the adopted lateral, a greater quantity of the branch, as 
it becomes old wood ; the new spring laterals, not want- 
ed for one of these two objects, are pinched off. The 
treatment of those retained during the rest of the sum- 
mer, thus differs : As the shoots in bearing extend in 
giowth, they are kept stopped about two eyes beyond 
the fruit ; the connate shoots, cultivated merely to en- 
large the provision of wood, . are divested of embryo 
branches, if they show any, and trained at full length as 
they advance during the summer, until they reach the al- 
lotted bounds ; were they stopped in the middle of their 
growth, it would cause them to throw out troublesome 
laterals ; in the winter pruning, there will thus be a 
great choice of mothei bearers. That nearest the ori- 
gin of the former mother bearer, or most commodiously 
placed, is retained, and the other or others on the same 
branch are cut away ; the rest of the branch is also ta- 
ken off, so that the old wood may terminate with the 
adopted lateral ; the adopted shoot is then shortened to 
two, three, four, or a greater number of eyes, accord- 
ing to its place on the Vine, its own strength, or the 
strength of the Vine. The lower shoots are pruned-iu 
the shortest, in order to iseep the means of always sup- 
plying young wood at the bottom of the Vine. 



222 GRAPE. 

The second molliod is to liead down the natural lead- 
er, so as to cause it to throw out two, three, or more 
principal shoots ; these are trained as leading branches : 
and in the winter pruning, are not reduced, unless to 
shape them to the limits of the trellis, or unless the plant 
appears too weak to sustain them at length. Laterals 
from these are cultivated about twelve inches apart, as 
mother bearers; those in fruit are stopped in summer, 
and after the fall of the leaf, are cut into one or two 
eyes. From the appearance of the mother bearers, 
thus shortened, this has been called spur pruning. 

The third method seems to flow from tnking the se- 
cond plan as a foundation, in having more than one as- 
piring leader, and from joining the super-structure of the 
first system immediately to this, in reserving well plac- 
ed shoots to come in as bearing wood. Thus, suppos- 
ing a stem which has been headed, to send up four vi- 
gorous competing leaders, two are suffered to bear fruit, 
and two are divested of such buds as break into clus- 
ters, and trained to the length of ten, twelve, or fifteen 
feet, or more, for mother bearers next season. In the 
winter pruning, the leaders which have borne a crop, 
are cut down to within two eyes of the stool, or less, 
according to th(5 strength of the plant, while the reserv- 
ed shoots lose no more of their tops than is necessary 
to adjust them to the t^-ellis. 

Nicol's mode. The first year after planting, after 
the buds have sprung an inch or two, it will be proper 
to single out those to be trained, and displace the others 
with the thumb. Tiiree shoots only should be trained 
on each plant, that is, the two lowermost, and the up- 
permost, if it be vigorous ; but otherwise, displace ir, 
and train the next below it. As the shoots advance, 
they should be trained at the distance of ten or twelve 
inches from each other, allowing them sutBcient room 
in the ties to swell without being cramped. Pinch off 
all laterals as they appear, except one or two nearest to 
the point of the shoot, lest by any accident it be brok- 
en, and in that case, that a substitute may readily be 
found — y/luch, however, is never equal to the main shaot 



GRAPE. 223 

"—SO that great care shouUl be taken in the training of 
principal lecjcit ;s. One side sliuot of ec.ch jjicint may 
be stopped wi;nn ii is five or six feet in lengtJ), and the 
other wiion nine or ten, (as they are io be cut well down 
in the winier pruai ig,) which will ihrow in the more 
strength to the niiadle shoots, that are only Io be head- 
ed down to about six or eight feer, and which, if well 
ripen d, may yield a iVuit i.ext se;iSon. These should 
be encouraged, tlierefore, and be Ci^rciully trained, as 
long as they will grow. *' In the end of the season, say 
in the month of November, these shoots," Nicol ob- 
serves, *' are to be pruned thus : the side shoot stopped 
first to thiee eyes, the other to five or six feet, and the 
middle shoot to seven, eight, or ten leer, according to 
its strength, from which may be expected a good deal of 
fruit next season, and a shoot from its extremity, to be 
stopped at the top of the trellis ihis lime twelvemonth. 
From the side sho tt, pruned to five or six feet, may be 
expected a little fruit ; and from its extremity, a shoot 
to be headed at this time next year, at nine or ten feet 
in length, which will,, the season following thereafter, 
produce a full crop. From the side shoot, shortened 
to three eyes, are to be expected two shoots, the one to 
be trained to the height of about nine or ten feet, (to be 
pruned to five or six at this time next yeai ,) and the 
otiier to four or five only, as it is again to be pruned 
back to two or three buds this time twelvemonth ; thus 
providing for wood to fill ihe under part of the trellis. 

There should be three ranges of bearing shoots, viz. 
one range at bottom of the trellis, from side to side, 
reaching from within two feet of the ground, five or 
six more feet upwards; ase«-,ond, reaching from a foot, 
or perhaps two feet under the top of these, thai is, from 
within seven or eight of the ground, to the distance of 
fourteen or fifteen feet upwards from it; and a third 
range reaching from a foot or two under the tops of 
these last to the uppermost row of wires on the trellis t 
the shoots of the first, or lower range, being headed at 
about five or six feet; those of the second, or middle 
range, at about seven or wght ; and those of the third, 



224 GRAPEk 

or uppermost, at about nine or ten Feot in lengtli, all a 
foot or two, more or less, according to circumstances ; 
according to their sirengili, liow low or how high upon 
the plums ihoy have isi^iicd, and how far they have 
sprung, and are fully matured. The distance at whicli 
these shoots should be placed from rijach oth«r in their 
respective ranges, is 'bout thirty inches; which dis- 
tance is ntjcess iry to give room to the stubs of next 
year, on which th'^ clusters are to hang, as in this sea- 
son ; and which distance may be varied a few inches, 
according to the kinds i>f Grapes, some growing strong- 
er than others. The undermost si'.oois on the trellis, 
or those placed neu»'est to the ground, and which were 
only trained to the height of a few feet, musi be short- 
ened back to two or three joints; it being a principal 
point in the training of Vines, always to provide for a 
supply of bottom wood and to keep young wood as 
near to the ground, or lower part of the plants, as pos- 
sible. 

In pruning, cut generally at two inches above the bud. 
Some cut nearer, even as near as half an inch, which is 
apt to weaken the shoot of next season, and sometimes 
to prevent its vegetating at all, the buds being very sus- 
ceptible of injury, on account of the soft and spongy 
nature of ihe wood. In the cutting out of old wood, be 
careful to cut in a §loping direction, and to smooth the 
edges of the wood, in order to prevent its being injured 
by moisture. The pruning being finished, let the loose, 
shreddy, outward rind on the old wood be carefully 
peeled off, observing not to injure ihe sound bark, and 
clear the nellis of branches of leaves, tendrils, &c. 
Let the shoots and branches be afterwards regularly 
laid in, at the distance above specified, particularly the 
young shoots that aie expected to bear nejct season. As 
to the others, it is not so material how near the young 
shoots be placed to the old, or even though they some- 
times cross them. Choose strands of fresh matting, or 
pack-thread, to tie with ; and observe to leave sufficient 
room for the swelling of the shoots and branches next 
season, as above cautioned." 



GRAPE. 225 

In Griffin's mode of training and pruning in the vine- 
ry, only a single shoot is left under each rafter* The 
Vine is planted outside, close to the parapet, and intro- 
duced through a hole immediately under the rafter up 
which it is trained. On planting, it is cut down to one 
eye ; about Christmas, the shoot formed during the pre- 
ceding summer is cut down to two or three feet ; the 
second year, one shoot only is trained from the extre- 
mity, and it is again headed down in winter, so that the 
joint length of the two years' wood is from ten to fif- 
teen feet : and at the Christmas of the third year, the 
shoot is cut off at the end of the rafter. The fruit, it is 
obvious, is to be obtained from the side shoots, or spurs, 
proceeding from this main shoot. The spurs are cut 
down to single eyes every winter, till the main shoots 
get coarse 'and rugged, which will happen in about ten 
years ; it is then cut away entirely, a young stem hav- 
ing been previously trained up the two preceding years 
from tile bottom, to substitute in its place. As soon as 
the plants become sufficiently strong to furnish wood, 
from the point where they enter the house, for a second 
and third branch, then a proper number must be fixed 
on as permanent plants, and their side branches brought 
successively forward and trained to the contiguous raft- 
ers, one bearing branch being applied to each rafter. 
The weight of Grapes pr^-duced under each rafter, by 
this mode of pruninjr, is generally about forty pounds, 
two bunches to each spur, or from fifty to one hundred 
bunches, averaging half a pound each. 

Summer Pruning. — " This depends generally on the 
necessity of admitting light and air to the fruit and 
young wood, and particularly on the sort of winter 
pruning to be adopted. The gardener, therefore, as 
Nicol observes, must have a predestinating eye to the 
following season." Whatever methods of pruning are 
used, Mr. Phial remarks, " the Grape Vine, through 
the whole course of the growing season, requires con- 
stant attendance, so as not to suffer the plant to be 
crowded in any part wilh superfluous shoots or leaves, 
and no more fruit ought to be suffered to swell on the 
21 



226 GRAPE. 

plant than it is well able to bring to perfection. The 
berries, also, on each bunch should be thinned, so that 
they may have room to swell, without pressing too hard 
on each other." 

As the shoots of newly planted Vines advance, they 
must be kept regularly fastened to the trellises. Divest 
them of their wires, and also take oif their laterals as 
they appear. The Vines in general may be permitted 
to run twenty feet, and the most vigorous thirty-five 
feet, before they are stopped, if the trellises extend so 
far. Sometimes a vigorous shoot having run to the ex- 
tent of the frame, is conducted in some other direction, 
as is most convenient. Sio^ the shoots, by pmching off 
their tops. After they have bet n stopped, they gene- 
rally send out laterals from three or four of the upper 
eyes. If these laterals are at once taken off, the sap 
will be merely diverted to the lower part of the shoot ; 
permit them, therefore, io proceed about twelve inches, 
and then pinch off their tops. These shortened late- 
rals will, in their turn, send out others, which should be 
stopped at the second joint. 

In the second season, as soon as the shoots are hslf a 
span long, the rudimenis of the bunches will be per- 
ceptible. The bunch is produced on the naked side of 
the shoot, opposite the le f bud. Having ascertained 
the most promising shoots, divest the vines of supernu- 
merary branches as they rise. Fruitful laterals will 
sometimes show two or three bunches at each eye ; and 
this is apt to tenapt the pruner to retain too many. On 
the leading shoot, retain of the best laterals, to the right 
and left, a number proportioned to the vigour and age 
of the plant ; one on each side, as near the bottom as 
it offers, with a second, third, fourth, up to seven, at the 
distance of three feet, if the plant is in its fourth sum- 
mer, but only five, at the distance of four feet, if this be 
the third summer since the plant was struck. Train the 
shoots reserved on each side, tying them to the trellis 
with strands of matting. Leave on each branch two 
bunches, or a single bunoh, according as the plant is in 
the fourth or third season from its origin ; pinch off the 



GRAPE. 227 

Others. Afterwards stop the bearing laterals at the se- 
cond joint above the fruit. Rub oft' water shoots from 
the older wood. Pinch oft" inferior laterals and ten- 
drils. 

Nicol observes, that " most of the summer pruning of 
Vines may be perfornied with the fingers, without a 
knife, the shoots to be displaced being easily rubbed off, 
and those to be shortened, being brittle, are readily 
pinched asunder." After selecting the shoots to be train- 
ed for the production of a crop next season, and others 
necessary for filling the trellis from the bottom, which 
shoots should generally be laid in, at the distance of a 
foot or fifteen inches from each other, rub off all the 
others that have no clusters, and shorten those that have 
at one joint above the uppermost cluster. For this pur- 
pose, go over the plants every three or four days, till all 
the shoots in fruit have shown their clusters, at the same 
time rubbing off any water shoots that may rise from 
the wood. 

Train in the shoots to be retained, as they advance. 
If there be an under trellis, on which to train the sum- 
mer shoots, they may, when six or eight feet in length, 
or when the Grapes are swelling, be let down to it, that 
the fruit may enjoy the full air and light, as it advances 
towards maturity. Such of these shoots as issue from 
the bottom, an d are to be shortened in the winter prun- 
ing to a few eyes, merely for the production of wood to. 
fill the trellis, may be stopped when they have grown 
to the length of foui or five feet. Others that are in- 
tended to be cut down to about two yards, and which 
issue at different heights, may be stopped when they 
have run three yards, or ten feet, less or more, accord- 
ing to their strength. And those intended to cut at, or 
near to the top of the trellis, should be trained a yard 
or two down the back, or a trellis may be placed so as 
to form an arbour ; or they may be placed to run right 
or left a few feet on the uppermost wire. 

The stubs or shoots on which the clusters are placed, 
will probably push again after being stopped, if the 
plants be vigorous. If so, stop them again and again i 



228 GRAPE. 

but after the fruit are half grown, they will seldom 
spring. Observe to divest the shoots, in training, of all 
laterals as they appear, except the uppermost on each, 
in order to provide against accidents, as hinted at above, 
in training the new planted Vines. When these shoots 
are stopped, as directed above, they will push again. 
Allow the lateral that pushes to run a few joints, and 
then shorten it back to one ; and so on, as it pushes, 
until it stop entirely. When the proper shoots get ri- 
pened nearly to the top, <he whole may be cut back to 
the originally shortened part, or to one joint above it, 
if there be reason to fear that the uppermost bud of the 
proper shoot will start. 

Divest the plants of all damped and decayed leaves 
as they appear, as such will sometimes occur in con- 
tinued hazy weather, and be particularly cautious not 
*o injure the leaf that accompanies the bunch, for if that 
is lost, the fruit will be of little value. 

" Every one of penetration and discernment," Ni- 
€ol observes, " will admit the utility of thinning the 
berries on bunches of grapes, in order that they may 
have room to swell fully ; and further, that of support- 
ing the shoulders of such clusters of the large growing 
kinds as hang loosely, and require to be suspended to 
the tiellis or branches, in order to prevent the bad ef- 
fects of damp or mouldiness in very moist seasons. Of 
these, the Hamburgh, Lombardy, Royal Muscadine, 
Raisin, St. Peter's, Syrian, Tokay, and others, should 
have their shoulders suspended to the trellis, or to the 
branches, by strands ot" fresh matting, when the berries 
are about the size of garden peas. At the same time, 
the clusters should be regularly thinned out with narrow 
pointed scissors, to the extent of from a fourth to a third 
part of the berries. The other close growing kinds, 
as the Ffontignacs, Muscats, &c., should likewise be 
moderately thinned, observing to thin out the small 
seedless berries only of the Muscadine, Sweet Water^ 
and flame-coloured Tokay. In this manner, handsome 
bunches and full swelled berries may be obtained ; but 
more so, if the clusters or over-biirdened plants be also 



MEDLAR. 229 

moderately thinned away. Indeed, cutting off the 
clusters, to a certain extent, of plants over-loaded, and 
jnishing weak wood, is the only means by which to 
cause them to produce shoots fit to bear fruit next year ; 
and this should be duly attended to, so long as the fu- 
ture welfare of the plants is a matter of importance." 

The preceding observations may be considered as 
falling short of what may be expected on the cultiva- 
tion of so important a fruit as the Grape ; but it is in- 
troduced into this work only as a garden fruit. The 
modes of training in vineyards and vineries, are alike 
suited to the garden. Low training may be practiced 
in borders or hedge rows, in large gardens ; and high 
training in sheltered situations, on high trellises or ar- 
bours. By proper management, the Vine may be ele- 
vated to the middle story of a house by a single stem, 
and afterwaids trained to a great height, according to 
the taste of the proprietor. For observations on the 
destruction of insects, the reader is referred to page 174 
to 180. As the Vine is often trained near buildings, an 
awning may be conveniently formed over the tops, so 
as to admit of fumigating the Vine with smoke from to- 
bacco, &c., as may be necessary in the summer season ; 
or a sort of moveable tent may be made of light boards, 
and cheap glazed linen, or an old sail, &c., capable of 
covering the Vine while a smoke is created underneath ; 
this will effectually destroy such insects as may annoy 
the Vine, and may prevent mildew and other diseases. 



MEDLAR. Neflier. Mespilus. 

The Medlar is a small sized branching tree ; the 
branches woolley, and covered with an ash coloured 
bark, and, in a wild state, covered with stiff spines. 
Leaves oval, lanceolate, serrate, towards the point 
.somewhat woolley, on very short channelled petioles. 
Flowers produced on small natural spurs, at the ends 
and sides of the branches ; petals white. Fruit, a tur- 
21* - 



230 MULBERRY. 

binated berry, crowned with five calycine leaflets ; pulp^ 
thick, mixed with callose granules, and containing five 
wrinkled stones. The tree is sometimes intro- 
duced into an orchard for its fruit, which Is called 
by the French, Neffe, which signifies truncate (maim.) 
It is eaten raw, in a state of incipient decay ; its taste 
and flavour are peculiar, and by some esteemed. The 
plant is a native of the south of Europe, but appears to 
be naturalized in some parts of England, where it is 
raised in copses for binds, &c. The soil on which the 
Medlar thrives best, is a loamy rich earth, rather moist 
than dry, but not on a wet bottom. There are five va- 
rieties noticed in the Linnaean Botanic Garden Cata- 
logue. The Dutch Medlar is considered the best. 
Miller says, that if the stones are taken out of the fruit 
as soon as it is ripe, and immediately planted, ihey will 
come up the' spring following, and make good plants in 
two years. It is raiher difficult to strike by cuttings, 
but may be grafted oh seedlings of the wild Medlar, or 
on other specie's of the same genus. 

The Medlar, like the Quince, is usually grown as a 
standard or espalier. In pruning, cut out all dead and 
cankery wood, and keep the tree thin of branches, 
when it is desired to have large fruit. Care is requisite 
to train standards with tall stems. Espaliers will re- 
quire a summer and winter pruning, as in the Apple 
tree. 



MULBERRY. Murier. iJIonis. 

There are several species of the Morus or Mulberry. 
The white kind is commonly cultivated for its leaves to 
feed silk worms, though in some parts of Spain, and in 
Persia they are said to prefer the Black Mulberry. Jn 
China, it appears that both sorts are grown for the 
same purpose. The most estei-jmed variety of the white 
is one grown in Italy, and especially in Lombardy, with 
vigorous shoots, and much larger leaves than the other. 



MULBERRY. 231 

The Morus multicauUs is cultivated in many parts of 
France, and is by some preferred to all other varieties. 
It is said that a less quantity of foliage from this varie- 
ty will satisfy the Silk worms. The late Andrew Par- 
mentier, Esq., of Brooklin, was the means of intro- 
ducing some of the best kinds into this country ; and it 
is said that twelve different varieties are now cultivated 
in Madame Parmentier's JNursery at Brooklyn, N. Y., 
many of which have been tested and found to be the 
true kinds. 

In France, the white Mulberry is grown as pollard 
Elms are in Englan.d. In Lombardy, it is grown in 
low marshy ground. In China, it is also grovvn in 
moist loamy soil, and both there and in the East Indies, 
as low bushes, and the plantations rooted up and re- 
newed eve rj^ tl^'ee or four years. In many parts, when 
the leaves are wanted for the worms, they are stripped 
off the young shoots, tvhich are left naked on the tree ; 
in other places, the shoots are cut off, which is not so 
injurious to the tree, while the points of ihe shoots, as 
well as the leaves, are eaten by the. worms. The plants 
are sometimes raised from seed, and one ounce of seed 
will produce 5000 trees, if sown in rich loamy soil, the 
latter end of April, or early in May ; but the young 
plants will require protection the first winter ; they are 
more commonly propagated by layers and cuttings, put 
down in the spring. The Italian varieti}' is frequently 
grafted on seedling stocks of the common sort, in order 
to preserve it from degenerating. In the East Indies, 
the plants are raised from cuttings, three or four of 
which are placed together, where they are finally to re- 
main. 

But Mulberry trees are valuable for their fruit ; and 
in England the black and red kinds are in great esteem, 
and much cultivated. The fruit of the white Mulberry 
is white, and less acid than that of the black species. 
The black is naturally a stronger tree than the other ; 
the fruit is of a dark blackish red, and ot an agreeable 
aromatic and acid flavour. The red Mulberry has black 
shoots, rougher leaves than the black Mulberry, and a 



232 MULBERRY. 

dark reddish fruit, longer than the common sort, and of 
a very pleasant taste. The fruit of the yellow Mul- 
berry is said to be sweet and wholesome, but not much 
eaten, excepting by birds ; the timber, however, is val- 
uable, from its abounding in a slightly glutinous milk of 
a sulphureous colour, and is known in Europe under the 
name of fustic wood, for dying a yellow colour. 

In Russia, the fruit of the Morus tartarica is eaten 
fresh, conserved, or dried ; a wine and a spirit are also 
made from them, but the berries are said to be of an in- 
sipid taste. All the species o{ Morus me remarkable 
for putting out their leaves late, so that when they ap- 
pear, gardeners may safely set out their green-house 
plants, taking it for granted that all danger from frost is 
over ; from this circumstance, plantations of Mulberry 
trees may be made in this country, in the spring of the 
year, with greater safety. 

The Mulberry produces its fruit chiefly on little shoot«; 
of the same year, which arise on last year's wood, and 
on spurs from the two year old wood ; in both stages, 
mostly at the ends of the shoots and branches. In prun- 
ing, thin out irregular crossing branches, but never shor- 
ten the young wood, on which the fruit is produced. If 
any of the dwarfish kinds are cultivated as espaliers for 
tiieir fruits, cut so as to bring in a partial succession of 
new wood every year, and a complete succession once 
in two years, taking the old barren wood out as may 
be necessary. As the blossom buds cannot be readily 
distinguished from others in the winter, the best period 
for pruning is when the blossoms first become visible in 
spring. 

There is another genus of plants known as the Paper 
Mulberry, which is very ornamental, called Brousso- 
netia papyrifera ; though a low tree, it has vigorous 
shoots, furnished with two large leaves ; the fruit, which 
is small, is surrounded with long purple hairs, changing 
to a black purple colour when ripe, and full of juice. 
" In China and Japan, it is cultivated for the sake of 
the young shoots, from the bark of which, the inhabit- 
ants of the eastern countries make paper. The bark 



NECTARINE. 233 

being separated from the wood, is steeped in water, the 
former making the whitest and best paper. The bark 
is next slowly boiled, then washed, and afterwards put 
upon a wooden table, and beat into a pulp. This pulp 
being put in water, separates like grains of meal. An 
infusion of rice, and the root of manhiot is next added 
to it. From the liqour so piepared, the sheets of paper 
are poured out one by one, and when pressed, the ope- 
ration is finished. 

** The juice of this tree is sufficiently tenacious to be 
used in China as a glue, in gilding either leather or pa- 
per. The finest and whitest cloth worn by the pricipal 
people at Otaheite, and in the Sandwich Islands, is 
made of the hark of this tree. The cloth of the Bread 
Fruit tree is inferior in whiteness and softness, and 
worn chiefly by the common people." 



NECTARINE. Pecher d Fruit lisse, ou Bbog- 
NONs. Amygdalus nectarina. 

The varieties of this fruit resemble the Peach in eve- 
ry respect, except that the skin is perfectly smooth, of 
a waxen appearance, and the flesh generally more firm ;^ 
although of the same genus as the Peach, which is so 
plentiful in this country, the fruit of the Nectarine is 
quite a rarity, and seldom appear in our markets. There 
are seventy-two varieties cultivated in the Horticultural 
Garden of London ; and Nicol says, that " no varie- 
ties of the Nectarine are at present known to have ori- 
ginated in North America, except the Boston." 

It is generally allowed that their failure is occasion- 
ed by the attacks of insects The most efficacious 
method that I have heard of, for securing any thing like 
a Ci'op of Nectarines, is to fumigate the trees in the eve- 
ning, when the air is calm and serene, at the season 
when the fruit is ready to set, see page 175 to 180,. 
Tobacco is the most effiectual antidote for insects ; but 
a friend of mine collected a quantity of salt hay that 



234 NECTARINE. 

bad been used as a covering for bis spinacb, the pre- 
ceding winter ; with this he created a smoke, first on 
one side of his plantation, and afterwards on the other, 
by which means he obtained a good supply of fruit. 
Our enteprising horticuhurist, Mr. Wm. Shaw, has 
succeeded in gathering fine fruit, by pursuing the Eng- 
lish plan, namely, in training his trees against a close 
fence; and it has been discovered by others, that the 
Nectarine, like the Grape Vine, will yield best in shel- 
tered situations. That eminent horticulturist, Mr. Da- 
vid Thomris, observes, that " a vast quantity of fruit 
is naturally destroyed by a worm, which causes the 
Plum, Apricot, and Nectarine prematurely to drop from 
the tree. To prevent this loss, let the tree, after the 
blossoms fall, be frequently shaken by a cord connected 
with a swinging door, or with a working pump-handle, 
&c. ; or let the bugs be jarred from the tree and killed. 
Or keep geese or pigs enough in the fruit garden to de- 
vour all the damaged fruit as it falls. We know that 
this last method is infallible." 

As some may object to shaking or jarring fruit trees, 
for fear of disturbing the fruit, such may be reminded, 
that if the blossoms set more fruit than can be support- 
ed, it will not come to full perfection, and the trees may 
be injured in iheir future bearing; for these reasons, 
when fruit s -ts too thick, it should be thinned in an ear- 
ly stage of its growth. 

The Nectarine is generally budded on stocks of the 
same species, or on Peach or Plum, two or three years 
old. Kni^'^lit recommends growing Almond stocks for 
the finer kinds of Nectarines and Apricots, as likely to 
prevent the mildew, and as being allied to the Peach. 
Dubreuil recommends a Plum stock for clayey soils, 
and the Almond for such as are light, chalky, or sandy. 
The same opinion is held by the Blontreul gardeners. 
The Flemish nurserymen graft both the Peach and 
Nectarine on the Myrabella Plum, a very small cherry- 
shaped fruit. 

The budding may be performed in July or August, 
in the side of the stock, which will, if properly manag- 



ORANGE, LEMON, &C. 235 

ed, shoot the following spring, and attain the length of 
three or four feet in a summer's growth. After the bud- 
dfed trees have ripened the first year's shoots, they may 
either be planted where they aie to remain, or retained 
in the nursery for two, tiiree, or four years, till in a 
bearing state. Whether the plants be removed into the 
orchard at a year old, or remain in the nursury, the first 
shoots from the bud must be headed down in n judicious 
manner, in order to promote the most desirable form; 
In annual pruning, thin out superfluous branches and 
dry wood, and shorten the bearing shoots. 

Nectarines may be trained to a close fence or wall in 
private gardens; in which case, such plants should be 
chosen as are budded low. See Apricot, page 191. 



ORANGE, LEMON, &c. Oranger, CjtroxMeb, 

&c. Citrus. 

Notwithstanding this fruit, and also the Lemon, Lime, 
&€., is attainable at all seasons of the year, by supplies 
from the Southern States, the West Indies, and the 
south of Europe, yet the plants are entitled to our no- 
tice on account of their being so easily cultivated, and 
from their aflbrding an ornament in exhibiting their 
fruit the whole of the year. 

The Orange, as well as others of the same genus, is 
generally cultivated as a green-house plant, but may be 
kept in a light room thoughout our severe winters, pro- 
vided the temperature is not suffered to be below the 
freezing point, 32. Its recommendations are, hand- 
some evergreen, shining tree-like forms ; most odorifer- 
ous flowers, and brilliant, fragrant, delicious fruits, 
which succeed each other perpetually, and are not un- 
frequently seen on the tree at the same time, in two or 
three stages of growth. A work has recently been 
published at Paris, edited by Messrs. Risso and Poi- 
teau, which contains engravings and descriptions oi' 



236 ORANGE, LEMON, &C. 

one hundred and sixty-nine varieties. They are arrang- 
ed as sweet Oranges, of which they describe 42 sorts ; 
bitter and sour Oranges, 32 sorts ; Bergamots, 5 sorts; 
Limes, 8 sorts ; Shaddocks, 6 sorts ; Lumes, 12 sorts ; 
Lemons, 46 sorts ; Citrons, 17 sorts. 

All the species ojf Citrus endure the open air at Nice, 
Genoa, and Naples, but at Florence and Milan, and 
often at Rome, they require protection during the win- 
ter, and are generally placed in conservatories and 
sheds. In England, these trees have been cultivated 
since 1629 ; they are generally planted in conservato- 
ries. Loudon says, that in the south of Devonshire, 
and particularly at Saltcombe, may be seen, in a few 
gardens, Orange trees that have withstood the winter 
in the open air upwards of a hundred years. The fruit 
is as large and fine as any from Portugal. Trees rais- 
ed from seed, and inoculated on the spot, are found to 
bear the cold better than trees imported. At Nuneham, 
near Oxford, are some fine old trees, planted under a 
moveable case, sheltered by a north wall. In summer, 
the case is removed, and the ground turfed over, so that 
the whole resembles a native Orange grove. The au- 
thor, being a native of Abingdon, which is within three 
miles of the Earl of Harcourt's estate at Nuneham, has 
had frequent opportunities of tasting the fruit, which he 
believes to be equal to that of warmer climates. At 
Woodhall, near Hamilton, trees of all the species of 
Citrus are trained against the back walls of forcing 
houses, and produce large crops of fruit. Any of the 
varieties of the Orange, Lemon, Lime, Shaddock, Ci- 
tron, &c. may be grafted or budded on stocks of the 
common Orange or Lemon ; but the seeds of Shad- 
docks and Citrons produce the strongest stocks ; and on 
these may*be tsngrafted such kinds as may be needed for 
a conservatory. The most suitable time for budding, 
is July and August ; but this operation may be perform- 
ed at any time when the sap is in motion. The direc- 
tions for the management of green-house plants, page 
144, apply to this family of plants, to which I refer 
my readers. A friend of mine, who is a native of 



PEACH. 237 



Rouen, in Normandy, informs me, that a Mr. Valee of 
that city, succeeds in clearing about twelve thousand 
francs per annum from the flowers of Orange trees, 
which are distilled for essences, &.C. 



PEACH. Pec HER. Amygdalus Persica, 

It is generally considered that the Peach is of Per- 
sian origin. In Media, it is deemed unwholesome ; 
but when planted in Egypt, becomes pulpy, delicious, 
and s dubrious. It has been cultivated, time immemo- 
rial, in most parts of Asi i ; when it was introduced into 
Greece, is uncertain. 1 he best Peaches in Europe 
are supposed to be grown in Italy on standards. 

The list of Peaches in the London Catalogue, con- 
tains two hundred and twenty-four names, fifty of 
which are denominated American Peaches. Several 
attempts have been made to class the varieties of Peach- 
es and Nectarines by the leaf and flower, as well as the 
fruit. Mr. Robertson, a nurseryman at Kilkenny, has 
founded his ariangement on the glands of the leaves ; 
and Mr. George Lindley of London, has, in a peculiar- 
ly distinct manner, arranged no fewer than one hun- 
dred and fifty-five sorts of Peaches and Nectarines in 
well defined divisions and sections. There are various 
instances on recoid (Hort. Trans. Vol. I., p. 103,) of 
both fruits growing on the same tree, even on the same 
branch ; and one case has occurred of a single fruit 
partaking of the nature of both. The French consider 
them as one fruit, arranging them in four divisions ; the 
Peches, or free stone Peaches ; the P'ches lisses^ or 
free stone Nectarines, or free stone smooth Peaches ; 
the PavieSf oi ding-stone Peaches ; and he Brognons, 
or Nectarines, or cling-stone smooth Peaches. 

Although this fruit will thrive in any sweet pulverized 

soil that is properly prepared, a rich sandy loam is the 

most suitable. Next to the selection and preparation of 

a suitable soil, a choice of good healthy trees is of the 

22 



23S PEACH. 

utmost importance. The seed for stocks should be se- 
lected from the fruit of vigorous growing, young, or mid- 
dle aged healthy trees ; and the buds should be taken 
from some of the choicest fruit-bearing trees that can 
be found. Let the stocks be fairly tested before they 
are budded, and if any infection exist in the stocks, or 
in the vicinity of where the choice of buds may fall, re- 
ject them, if you wish to rear a healthful progeny ; as 
more depends on these particular points than many are 
aware of. 

In this country, the Peach is generally budded on 
stocks of its own kind, but in England it is often 
budded on damask Plum st( cks, and some of the more 
dehcate sorts on Apricot stocks, or old Apricot trees 
cut down ; or on seedling Peaches, Almonds, or Nec- 
tarines. See article Nectarine, page 233. Cobbet says, 
*• there are thousands of Peach trees in England and 
France that are fifty years old, and that are still in vi- 
gorous fruitful ness." He attributes the " swift decay 
of the Peach tree here to their being grafted on stocks 
of their kind." 

Care should be taken to keep the trees clear of in- 
sects, by washing, fumigation, &c. ; see article, page 
174. A celebrated horticulturist, Mr. David Thomas, 
very justly remarks, in page 29 of the 5th volume of 
the New- York Repository, that '* could the insect Cur- 
culio species be satisfied with three fourths of all the 
fruit that set on our trees, we should be great gainers 
by keeping such a fellow in our employment ; for the 
fruit would be larger, and far more delicious. But we 
cannot restrain him within reasonable bounds, and we 
must be content to ihin it on the branches by our 
thumbs and fingers. This is an important operation. 
Without it, several varieties of these fruits are not fit 
for the table ; and it is remarkable, that if the super- 
numeraries are removed even so late as not visibly to 
affect the size of the remainder, still their flavour will 
be greatly improved. Last season, our gros mignon 
Peach tree was over-loaded, and the fruit comparatively 
insir»id ; yet after much the greater part had dropped 



PEAR. 239 

in the due course of ripening, we found the gleanings 
to be really fine." 

As these and similar points are too little attended to^ 
I prefer giving entire extracts from the writings of emi- 
nent horticulturists, to which I would strenuously in- 
vite the attention of ray readers, in every instance. 
All the varieties of the Peach and Nectarine produce 
the fruit upon the young wood of a year old, the blos- 
som buds rising immediately from the eyes of ihe shoots. 
The same shoots seldom bear after the first year, ex- 
cept on some casual small spurs on the two years' wood, 
which is not to be counted upon. Hence the trees are 
to be pruned as bearing entirely on the shoots of the 
preceding year, and a full supply of regular grown 
shoots must be retained for successional bearers. Cut 
out the redundant shoots, and all decayed and' dead 
wood, and reduce some of the former bearers, cutting 
the most naked quite away. 

A Peach Orchard may be planted at any time after 
the bud is established, until the trees are three or four 
years old, which may be placed from fifteen to twenty 
feet from each other, or from any other spreading trees. 
The dwarf kinds may be introduced into the kitchen 
garden, and trained against fences, as directed lor the 
Apricot, or as espaliers, or dwarf standards. 



PEAR. PoYRE. Fyrus. 

The Pear tree, in its wild state, is thorny, with up- 
right branches, tending to the pyramidal form, in which 
it differs materially from the Apple tree. The twigs 
or sprays hang down ; the leaves are elliptical, obtuse, 
serrate ; the flowers in terminating, villose corymbs, 
produced from wood of the preceding year, or from 
buds gradually formed on the several years' growth, on 
the extremities of very short protruding shoots, techni- 
cally called spurs. It is found in a wild state in Eng^ 



240 FEAR. 

iand, and abundantly in France an^ Germany, as well 
as in other parts of Europe, not excepting Hussia, as 
far north as lat. 51. It grows in almost a»y soil. The 
cultivated tree differs from the Apple, not only in hav- 
ing a tendency to the pyramidal form, but also in being 
more apt to send out tap roots ; in being, as a seedling 
plant, longer (generally from fifteen to eighteen years) 
of coming into bearing ; and when on its own root, or 
grafted on a wild Pear stock, df being much longer liv- 
ed. In a dry soil, it will exist for centuries, and still 
keep its health, productiveness and vigour. There are 
fewer good sorts of Pears in propoition to the number 
of current varieties, than Apples. The Romans had 
thirty-six varieties in Pliny's lime ; there are now seve- 
ral hundreds in the French and British nurseries ; the 
London Horticultural Catalogue contains the names of 
six hundred and twenty-two. Professor Van Mons, of 
Brussels, and M. Duquessie, of Mons, fruited about 
eight thousand seedling Pears, from which they obtain- 
ed nearly eight hundred sorts worth cultivating, (Neil's 
Hort. Jour.) The varieties are divided by the French 
into differeni classes of fruits, which are designated as 
Beurrees, Crevers, and Poiree, &c. 

Criterion of a good Pear, — Dessert Pears are cha- 
racterized by a sugary aromatic juice, with the pulp soft 
and sub-liquid, or melting, as in the Beurrees, or butter 
Pears ; or of a firm and crisp consistence, or breaking, 
as in the winter Bergamots. Kitchen Pears should be 
of a large size, with the flesh firm, neither breaking nor 
melting, and rather austere than sweet. Perry Pears 
may be either large or small ; but the moie austere the 
taste, the better will be the liquor ; excellent perry is 
made from the wild Pear. 

Pear trees are raised from seed taken from the best 
sorts, for the purpose of obttining new varieties, or for 
producing Pear stocks. In raising Pears for stocks, the 
wild Pear is preferred in Europe, as being calculated 
to produce plants more hardy and durable than the cul- 
tivated sorts ; and for dwarfing and precocity, the 
Quince is preferred. 



PLUM. 241 

The Pear is a much handsomer upright growing tree 
than the Apple ; more durable, and its wood hard and 
valuable for the turner and millwright ; but its blossoms 
being white, are less showy than those of the Apple. A 
Pear Orchard may be planted at any time after the 
trees are two years old from the graft ; and as trees 
from young stocks will not come into full bearing until 
tea or twelve years old, they will bear removing with 
care at any time within that period. They may be 
planted at from twenty to thirty- five feet distance from 
each other, according to the nature of the tree. The 
dwarf varieties may be planted in the kitchen garden, 
and trained either as espaliers or dwarf standards. 
Pear trees will require but little pruning after the heads 
are once formed ; in doing which, the branches should 
be permitted to extend on all sides freely. Several 
years may elapse before any crosi-placed, very irregu- 
lar, or crowded branches require pruning; yet there 
are some kinds whose form of growth resembles the Ap- 
ple ; such will need frequent pruning. " The Pear 
tree," Mr. Phail says, " does not produce blossoms on 
the former year's wood, as several other sorts of trees 
do. Its blossom buds are formed upon spurs growing out 
of wood over one year old, and consequently projecting 
spurs all over the tree, must be left for that purpose." 
In some pears. Knight observes, " the fruit grows only 
on the inside of those branches which are exposed to 
the sun and air ; in others, it occupies every part of the 
tree." Withering says, that the French make perry, 
or poire, from the fermented juice of the Pear, which 
is little inferior to wine ; and that even the bad eating 
kinds, pared and dried in the oven, will keep several 
years with or without sugar. 



PLUM. Prunier. Prunus» 

The Plum tree rises fifteen feet in height, branching 
into a moderately spreading head ; the leaves are ovate, 
22* 



242 PLUM. 

serrated and on short petioles; petals white. The na- 
tural colour of the fruit is generally considered to be 
black ; but the varieties in cultivation are of yellow, 
red, blue, and green colours, and of different forms and 
flavours. There are se*^eral good sorts grow wild in 
die hedges of Britain, and also in America, but its ori- 
ginal country is supposed to be Asia; and according 
to Pliny, it was taken from Syria inio Greece, and from 
llience into Italy. There are many varieties cultivat- 
ed in France, and in the London Horticultural Garden 
there are two hundred and ninety-eight sorts kept un- 
der name. The green Gage is considered the best 
dessert Plum, and the Wine-sour for sweetmeats ; but 
the Damson is the best baking Plum. 

The Plum is said to succeed best in a lofly exposure, 
and may yield well in the mountainous parts of the 
United States ; it yields well near Albany, but the fruit 
is by no means plentiful in the vicinity of the city of 
New- York. Like the Nectarine, it is subject to the 
attacks of insects. A correspondent, signed D. T., in 
a communication to the editor of the New- York Far- 
mer, page Go of the third volume, remarks, that " it 
has long been observed that Plum trees growing in fre- 
quented lanes, or barn-yards, were generally fruitful, 
wh^e those in secluded situations, as in gardens, were 
more rarely productive." The late Dr. Tihon has 
shown that the treading of live stock round the trees, 
made it not only more difficult for the worm to pene- 
Jrate the ground, but that his escape from the fallen 
fruit was rendered precarious by the approach of swine, 
eager to convey his habitation and him in a different di- 
rection. 

It is also stated that the Curculio is a timid animal; 
that the passing of hve stock round the trees alarmed 
him ; and we know that rubbing of swine and cattle, or 
any sudden jar, causes it instantly to drop to the 
ground. In accordance with these facts, some have 
kept their hogs among their Plum trees ; and a friend 
lately told me, that in consequence, his Plum trees had 
borne double during the last twelve years. This plan 



PLUM. 243 

is much to be recommended among large trees ; but 
well grown and well fed hogs become wanton, and I 
have several small trees greatly injured by their teeth, 
and by their rubbing. Neither will their rooting make 
amends for the trampling of the ground near small trees 
in wet weather ; I have, therefore, determined to dis- 
charge these gentry during summer, and chiefly trust 
the management of the fruit garden to the geese. Last 
season, 1 was much pleased with the activity of these 
birds ; scarcely a fallen Plum escaped them, which they 
swallow without difficulty, and the worm is every mo- 
ment in danger. 

Many trees stand in gardens, however, wherie neither 
swine nor geese can be admitted ; and in such cases, I 
would suggest the trial of a plan by which I destroyed 
hundreds of these insects. Two large sheets made of 
cheap factory cotton, were laid slightly to over-lap 
with the tree at the centre. A stroke of the hand for 
a small tree, or of a mallet for a large one, causes the 
Curculio instantly to drop on the sheet. The dark 
brown colour of the insects contrasts with the white 
cloth, and it may at once be discovered, and easily de- 
stroyed. Though it may seem inanimate, it will almost 
imperceptibly slide under the dead blossoms that fall 
with it, and it then requires care to detect it. This pro- 
cess is expeditiously performed by five persons, two to 
each sheet, and one to strike the tree. I have strong 
hopes from this experiment ; and to begin with the 
dropping of the blossoms, and to visit the trees two or 
three times a day for several weeks, would probably 
prevent any serious injury to the crop, and reduce these 
insects to a scanty remnant. New varieties of the 
Plum are produced from seed ; and the old kinds are 
generally propagated by buddings on stocks of free 
growing Plums, in preference to grafting, because Plum 
trees are very apt to gum wherever large wounds are 
made in them. All the sorts produce their fruit on 
small natural spurs rising at the ends and along the sides 
of the bearing shoots of one, two, or three years growth. 
In most sorts, new fruit branches are two years old be- 



244 dUiNCE. 

fore the spurs bear. The same branches and spurs 
continue fruitful in proportion to the time which they 
take to come into bearing. After the formation of the 
head is begun, it takes from two to six years before the 
different sorts come into bearing. Standards must be 
allowed to expand in free growth, occasionally pruning 
long ramblers and irregular cross branches. In annual 
pruning, thin crowded parts ; cut away worn out bear- 
ers, and all decayed and cankery wood. The Plum 
may be cultivated in small gardens, trained as espaliers, 
or to a close fence, like the Apricot, &c. The tree is 
of further use than for its fruit as a dessert, &c. ; the 
bark dyes yellow ; the wood is used by the turners ; 
and the dried fruit, or prune, is formed into electuaries 
and gentle purgatives. Prunes were originally brought 
from Damascus, whence their name. Cobbett attri- 
butes the scarcity of Plums in New- York to neglect. 
fn his American Gardener, paragraph 320, he asks, 
" how is it that we see so few Plums in America, when 
the markets are supplied with cart-loads in such a chil- 
Ijf^ shadijy and bl ig ht i/ couniry as England?" 



QUINCE. CoiGNAssiER. Cydonia. 

The quince is of low growth, much branched, and 
generally crooked and distorted. The leaves are 
roundish or ovate, entire, above dusky green, under- 
neath whitish, on short petioles. The flowers are 
large, white, or pale red, and appear in May and June ; 
the fruit, a pome, varying in shape in the different varie- 
ties, globular, oblong, or ovate ; it has a peculiar and 
rather disagreeable smell and austere taste. 1 he fruit 
takes it name from its being a native of the ancient 
town of Cydon, in the Island of Crete ; some suppose 
it to be a corruption of Malus cotoned^ by which the 
Latins designated the fruit. It is used as a marmalade 
for flavouring Apple pies, and making an excellent 



RASPBERRY, &C. 245 

sweetmeat ; and it has the advantage over many other 
fruits for keeping, if properly managed. Of the seve- 
ral sorts, the following are in greatest esteem : 1. The 
oblong, or Fear Quince, with oblong ovate leaves, and 
an oblong fruit lengthened at the base. 2. The Apple 
Quince, with ovate leaves, and a rounder fruit. 3. The 
Portugal Quince, the fruit of which is more juicy and 
less harsh than the preceding, and therefore the most 
valuable. It is rather a shy bearer, but is highly es- 
teemed, as the pulp has the properly of assuming a fine 
purple tint in the course of being prepared as a marma- 
lade. 4. The mild or eatable Quince, being less aus- 
tere and astringent than the others. 

The Quince produces the finest fruit when planted 
in a soft moist soil, and rather shady, or at least shel- 
tered situation. It is generally propagated by layers, 
and also by cuttings, and approved sorts may be per- 
petuated by grafting. In propagating for stocks, no- 
thing more is necessary than removing the lower shoots 
from the layer, so as to preserve a clear stem as high 
as the graft ; but for fruit bearing trees, it is necessary 
to train the stem to a rod, till it has attained four or 
five feet in height, and can support itself upright. When 
planted in an Orchard, the trees may be placed ten or 
twelve feet apart. The time of planting, the mode of 
bearing, and all the other particulars of culture, are the 
same as for the Apple and Pear. The chief pruning 
they require, is to keep them free from suckers, and cut 
out decaying wood. 



RASPBERRY, &c. Framboisier, &c. Rubus. 

There are several species of the Rubus found wild 
in various parts of Asia, Earope, and America, 
some of which have upright stems, others prostrate ; 
the American Sione Bramble, and also the common 
Blackberry, Dewberry, Cloudberry, &c. are of this fa- 



246 RASPBERRY, &C. 

mily. The Rubus idaeus, or common Raspberry, 
grows spontaneously in the province of New Brunswick, 
and in various pans of the United States, but most of 
the cultivated varieties are supposed to have originated 
in England. Loudon describes the true Raspberry as 
having stems which are suffructicose, upright, rising to 
the height of several feet, and are biennial in duration ; 
but the root is perennial, producing suckers which ripen 
and drop their leaves one year, and resume their foli- 
age, produce blossom shoots, flower, and fruit, and die 
the next. The leaves are quinatt -pinnate ; the flow- 
ers come in panicles from the extremity of the present 
year's sh6ots ; they are white, appear in May and June, 
and the fruit ripens about a fortnight afterwards. 

The fruit is grateful to most palates, as nature pre- 
sents it, but sugar improves the flavoui ; accordingly, it 
is much esteraeed when made into sweetmeats, and for 
jams, tarts, and sauces. It is fragrant, subacid, and 
cooling ; alla^ys heat and thirst. It is much used in 
distilling ; Raspberry syrup is next to the Strawberry 
in dissolving the tartar of the teeth ; and as, like that 
fruit, it does not undergo the acetous fermentation in the 
stomach, it is recommended to gouty and rheumatic pa- 
tients. 

Nicol enumerates twenty-three species and varieties 
of the cultivated Raspberry, and twenty-one of the i?w- 
fms ronccy or Bramble ; of the latter, is included the 
American red and black Raspberry, and the Long Isl- 
and and Virginian Raspberry. The English varieties 
are, earl} Small white ; Large white ; Large red ; most 
Large red Antwerp ; Large yellow Antwerp ; Cane or 
smooth stalked ; Twice bearing white ; Twice bearing 
red ; Smooth cane, twice bearing ; Woodward's Rasp- 
berry. Prince's Catalogue contains twenty-seven 
names, amongst which are, Brentford red ; Brentford 
white ; Flesh coloured ; Barnet red, fine ; Pennsylva- 
nia; Cretan red; Prolific red; Canada purple rose 
flowering, &c. The varieties can be perpetuated by 
young sucker shoots, rising plenteously from the root 
in spring and summer ; when these have completed one 



STRAWBERRY. 247 

season's growth, they are proper to detach with roots 
for planting, either in the autunan of the same year, or 
the next spring, in March or early in April. These 
new plants will bear some fruit the first year, and fur- 
nish a succession of strong bottom shoots for full bear- 
ing the second season. New varieties are raised from 
seed, and they come into bearing the second year. 

Raspberry beds are in their prime about the third 
and fourth year ; and if well managed, continue in per- 
fection five or six years, after which they are apt to de- 
cline in growth, and the fruit to become small, so that 
a successive plantation should be provided in time. Se- 
lect new plants from vigorous stools in full perfection as 
to bearing. Be careful to favour the twice bearers with 
a good mellow soil, in a sheltered situation, in order 
that the second crop may come to perfection. 

When Raspberries are cultivated on a large scale, it 
is best to plant them in bods by themselves, in rows 
from three to five feet apart, according to the kinds. In 
small gardens they may be planted in detached stools, 
or in single rows, in different parts of the garden, from 
the most sunny to the most shady aspect, for early and 
late fruit of improved growth and flavour. 

It is requiste to cut out the dead stems early in the 
spring, and to thin and regulate the successional young 
shoots ; at the same time, the shoots retained should be 
pruned at the top, below the weak bending part, and 
some' rotten dung worked in around the roots of the 
plants. Keep them clear of weeds during the summer, 
by hoeing between the rows; at the same time eradi- 
cate all superfluous suckers, but be careful to retain 
enough for stock in succeeding years. 



STRAWBERRY. Fraisier. Fragaria. 

This is a genus of fruit bearing herbaceous plants, of 
which there are few in the vegetable kingdom that can 



248 STRAWBERRY. 

equal the Strawberry in wholesomeness and excellence. 
The fruit is supposed to receive its name from the an- 
cient practice of laying straw between the rows, which 
keeps the ground moist and the fruit clean. They are 
natives of temperate or cold climates, as of Europe and 
America. The fu it, though reimed a berry, is, in cor- 
rect boiauicpl language, a fleshy receptacle, studded 
with seeds. It is oniversally grateful alone, or with 
sugar, cream, or wine, and has the property, so valua- 
ble for acid stomachs, of not undergoing the acetous 
fermentation. Physicians concur in placing Strawber- 
ries in thei small catalogue of pleasant remedies ; they 
have propeities which render them, in most conditions 
of the animal fr.ime, posirive'y salutary ; they dissolve 
the tartareous incrustations ot the teeth ; they promote 
perspiration. Persons afflicted with the gout, have 
found relief from using them very largely ; so have pa- 
tients in cases of the stone ; and Hoffman states that he 
has known consumptive ppople cured by them. The 
bark of the root is astringent. 

In cultivating the Strawberry, an open situation and 
rich loamy soil, rather strong, is required for most varie- 
ties ; and from their large mass of foliage and flowers, 
they must, rill the fruit is set, have copious supplies of 
water. The row cultute is best calculated to produce 
fruit; and fiequent leficvval insures vigorous plants as 
well as large fruit. Some make beds of single rows 
from twelve to eighteen inches apart, according to the 
sorts ; others form a bed with two rows eighteen inches 
asunder. If several beds be intended, a space of two 
feet may be left between each bed as a path ; and in the 
second or third season, the paths may be manured and 
dug, to admit of the runners taking root ; by this means, 
a renewal may be made so often, and the old stools being 
taken away, leaves spaces between the beds as before. 
Or new plantations may be made every season ; as af- 
ter the roots are (airly established, they multiply sponta- 
neously every summer, as well by suckers from the pa- 
rent stem, as by the numerous runners ; all of which, 
rooting and formiug a plant at every joint, require only 



SffRAWBERRY. 24% 

removal to a spot where there is room for them to flour- 
ish. If taken off and planted in rows in August and 
September, they will produce fine fiuir the following 
season, and will bear in full perfection the second sum- 
mer. A plantation of the Alpine yields fruit the same 
year that it is made. The Wood and the Alpine come 
regularly from seed, from which finer fruit may be pro* 
duced than from offsets. The other species are uni- 
formly propagated by offsets, except the intention be to 
try for new varieties. The Alpine and Wood species 
may be planted in situations rather cool and shady, in 
order ihat they may produce their fruit late in the sea- 
son, which is desirable. . The Strawberry, with a little 
trouble oC choosing a succession of sorts, may be forced 
so as to be had at the dessert every month in the year ; 
though during the winter months they have not much 
flavour. 

Some gardeners lay straw an inch or two thick over 
their beds in March, and set fire to it, in order to pro- 
mote a stocky growth of plants and early fruit; others 
recommend mowing off the tops of such plants as are 
not required to fruit early, while they are in blossom, 
with a view to obtain a crop of Strawberries late in the 
season. The London Horticultural Catalogue contains 
the names of one hundred and twenty-one varieties of 
all the species ; which are classed according to their 
nature, colour, «fcc. Class 1. Scailet Strawberries ; 2. 
Black Strawberries; 3. Pine Strawberries; 4. Chili 
Strawberries; 5. Hautbois Strawberries; 6. Green 
Strawberries ; J, Alpine and Wood Strawberries. To 
select all the most esteemed from this or any other ex- 
tensive catalogue, is a diflficult task ; the following de- 
scription of species and varieties may serve to direct 
the choice : 

1. The Wood Strawberry, (Fragaria vesca,) with 
oval serrated leaves ; the fruit red, white, and green, 
which is round and small. A native of Britain. 

2. The Scarlet, (Fragaria Virgiiiiana,) with leaves 
like the preceding ; the fruit roundish and scarlet co- 
loured. A native of Virginia. Varieties, Early Scarlet, 

23 



250 Strawberry. 

Wilniot's late, Common late, Wilmot's cockscomb 
scarlfti. 

3. The Roseberry, (Fragaria virg. var.) an Aber- 
deen seedling introduced in 1810. The plants have 
few roundish leaves ; larger fruit than tlie scarlet, and 
are very prolific ; continues bearing till August. 

4. The Downton, (Fragaria virg. var.) The fruit 
is large, irregular, and coxcorab-like ; leaves large ; 
plant hardy and prolific. 

5. The Carolina, (Fragaria Carolinensis^) colour 
red ; a native of America. 

6. The Musky, or Hautbois, (Fragaria elatier,) 
with oval rough javelin-edged leaves ; the fruit large, of 
a pale red colour ; a native of Britain. 

7. The Chill, (Fragaria Chiliensl^,) with large, 
oval, thick, hairy leaves, and large flowers ; the fruit 
large and very firm ; a n stive of South America, 

8. Keen's Imperial, or neiv Chili, (Fragaria Cliil. 
var.) raised by Mr. Keen, of Isleworth, a most excel- 
lent bearer, ripening early. The fruit is very large ; the 
flesh firm and solid, without any separable core ; colour 
scarlet. 

9. The Pine, (Fragaria grandiflora^) the leaves 
small and delicate. There are two sorts, the red and 
the white, or greenish tinted, of this most rich flavoui- 
ed fruit. Knevet's seedling produces large fruit of ex- 
cellent'flavour. 

10. The Alpine, or Prolific, (Fragaria coUina,) 
which commonly lasts from June till November, and in 
mild seasons, till near Chrisimas ; two sorts of the fruit, 
the red and the white. Alps of > urope. 

11. The one leaved, (Fragaria monophylla^) the 
pulp of the fruit, pink-coloured ; a native of Soutii 
America. 

12. The Grove End scarlet Strawberry, a s'^cdling 
raised by VVm. Atkinson, Esq. in his garden at Grove 
End Marylebone, in the year 1820 ; an excellent bear- 
er, ripening its berries early and in succession. 

All the species and varieties of this frui. are highly 
estimated in Britain, where they are cultivated in great 



Walnut. 251 

perfection. Berries have been known to weigh from 
one to two ounces, which have been grown to the cir- 
cumference of eight inches and upwards. It may be 
gratifying to the lovers of ihis excellent fruit, to be in- 
formed. that some of the best kinds are attainable here. 
Messrs. Prince, Floy, Wilson, and others, are intro- 
ducing some of the choicest kinds into their nurseries ; 
and one of our patriotic fellow-citizens, Jesse Buei, 
Esq., of the Albany Nursery, informs us in the Albany 
Argus of June 23. 1830, that he has grown the Down- 
ton (a variety of the Chili crossed by Mr. Knight,) two 
years in succession, 4^ inches in circumference. He 
said he picked a pail that morning of the Methven scar- 
let Strawberry, which had an average circumference of 
three inches each. Several measured four inches, and 
one four and a quarter inches. Sixty-three, divested of 
the calyx, weighed a pound, which is a trifle more than 
four to the ounce. Several of the choicest kinds have 
been lately transplanted from the London Society's 
garden into the Albany Nuisery. 



WALNUT. NoYER. Juglans. 

From the circumstance of our having an abundance 
%)f the fruit, from the many species of this genus of trees 
jrrowing spontaneously around us, it is presumed that 
the culture of the Juglans i^egia, commonly called Eng- 
lish Walnut, or Madeira Nut, has been neglected by- 
many of our citizens. Jt is a native of Persia, and is 
cultivated in France, England, and in other parts of 
Europe, both as a fruit and timber tree. The fruit in 
England is much used in a green state for pickling, and 
also as an adulteration of soy sauce. In France, an 
oil which sup)>lies the place of that of Almonds, is made 
fom the kernel. In Spain, they strew the gratings of 
old and hard nuts, first peeled, into their tarts and other 
meats. The leaves strewed on the ground, and left 



252 WALKUT. 

there, annoy worms or moles, or macerated in warm 
water, afford a liquor wliich will destroy them. The 
unripe fruit is used in medicine for the purpose of de- 
stroying worms in the human body. Plin}* says, *'the 
more Walnuts one eats, with the more ease will he drive 
worms out of the stomach.''' The timber is considered 
lighter, in proportion to its strength and elasticity, ihan 
any other, and therefore commonly used in England for 
gun-siocks. It is used in cabinet work in most parts 
of Europe ; the young timber is allowed to make the 
finest coloured work, but the old to be finest variegated 
for ornam nt. When propagated for timber, the nut is 
Sown; bu^ when fruit is the object, inarching from the 
branches of fruit-bearing irees is preferable. Budding 
is also practiced by some ; the buds succeed best when 
taken from the base of the annual shoots ; ordinary siz- 
ed buds from the upper part of such shoots generally 
fail. Walnut trees that have not been grafted or bud- 
ded, may be induced to produce blossoms by ringing 
the ba«k, that is, cutting out a streak of the bark around 
the body or main branches of the tree. Walnut trees 
seldom yield much fruit until fifteen or twenty years 
old ; it is produced on the extremities of the preceding 
year's shoots. The trees should stand forty or fifty 
feet apart, and they may be permitted to branch out in 
their natural order. They need but little pruning, 
merely to regulate any casual disorderly growth, to re- 
duce over-extending branches, and to prune up the low 
stragglers. 

Lest any of our native Walnuts should be neglected 
or abandoned by any, I annex a description of the dif- 
ferent kinds : 

Juglans catharticus, is known under the name of But* 
tenuJT, Oilnut, and white Walnut ; these nuts are used 
by the Indians as a medicine. 

j>uglans nigra, tlie black Walnut, is a tree of large 
size ; its fruit is known to be excellent. 

Juglans olivaefurmis. Pecan or Illinois nut, is deli- 
cious. Tha nuts of Juglans sulcata, which is called 
thick shell bark, Hickory, and Springfield, and Glou- 



WHORTLEBERRY. 253 

cester nut, are large and well tasted. The shell bark 
Hickory, shag bark, or scaly bark Hickory, Juglans 
alba, is so called on account of its bark, which is torn 
lengthwise in long loose strips, as in J. sulcata. The 
Juglans tomentosa, the Mucker nut, white heart Hick- 
ory, or common Hickory, and most of the other kinds 
enumerated are worth preserving ; or cultivating where 
there is none, for its timber for mechanical purposes ; 
and that of the Juglans glabra^ or Hog nut, is useful for 
brooms, &c. 



WHORTLEBERRY. Airelle. Vaccinium. 

Of the species of this genus, the berries of many are 
knovvn to furnish materials for tarts, not however so 
good as the genus Oxycoccus, or Cranberry, with the 
exception of Vaccinium vltis Idaca^ which is the kind 
that bears what <t'e called Cranberries in the Highlands 
of Scotland, and which are of very excellent qualit}-:. 
There are twenty three species and varieties of this fa- 
mily of plants cultivated in the Horticultural Garden at 
Chiswick ; and the Linnaean Botanic Garden Catalogue 
contains the names of twenty-five sorts, compiising the 
Deerberry. Bilberry, American Cowberry, &.c. As 
many sorts of fruits, which only a few years ago were 
lightly esteemed, are now :nuch cultivated, as being 
highly appreciated, it is necessary to introduce such 
plants into notice as are in the least calculated to add 
to the resources of the human species, it being gene- 
rally adniiited that culture will accomplish v/onders. 

The Vatcinuim myrtiUus^ or Bilbeiry, is an elegant 
and also a iVuii-bearing plant ; the 3'oung fresh green 
leaves ani wax-like red flowers appear in May, and to- 
wards autumn the leaves grow darker and more firm. 
The ripe berries are used in England for taits, and in 
Poland they are eaten with clotted cream. Withering 
says the berries are very acceptable to children, eitber 
. " 23* . 



254 WHORTLEBERRt. 

eaten by theTiselves, or with milk, or in tarts.' The 
moor game live upon them in the autumn ; the juice 
stains paper or linen purple. The berries have an as- 
tringent quality ; and in Arturn and the We>5lern Isles, , 
are given in diarrhoeas and dysenteries with good effect. 
T>ie Highlanders eat them with milk, and make them 
into tarts and jellies, which last they mix with whiskey, 
to give it a relish. The Vaccinium ullignosunj, or great 
Bilberry, grows taller than the common Bilberry, and 
has 'arge globular black, glaucous fruit. These hive 
less flavour, but abound with a weak acid juice. Linn 
says, if the fruit be eaten in large quantities, it occasions 
giddiness and a slight headache, especially when full 
grown and quite ripe. Withering says, that many vint- 
ners in France are siid to make use of the juice to co- 
lour fheir wines red. They furnish an ardent spirit, 
which is liighly volatile and intoxicatitig. 

The Vaccinium vitis idaea is of ver} humble growth, 
and almost herbaceous, though evergreen. Tiie ber- 
ries are red, acid, astringent, and bitter. They are 
scarcely to be eaten raw, and though made into pies in 
Derbyshire, where they are called Cowberries, their 
llavour is considered infeiior to the Cranberry. " They 
are in great esteem in Sweden, prepared as a rob or 
jelly, which is eaten with roast meat, and is considered 
far preferable to currant jelly as a sauce for venison, 
&/C. It is an excellent medicine in colds, sore throats, 
and all irritation of the mouth or fiiuces."^ — (Smith Brit, 
ana Eng. Bot.) Dr. Cl^irke says that they are sent in 
large quantities from West Bothnew to Stockholm, for 
pickling. 

The Vaccinium tenellum, or Pennsylvania blue ber- 
ried Whortleberry, is a very good fruit. For a further 
description of the several sjiecies and varielii-s of this 
genus of plants, which are iiidigcnuus in America, as 
well as in Europe and Asia, the reader is referred to 
Prince's CataJogiu; of Fruit trees, &c. The n)ode of 
culture recommended fur (he Cranberry, is calculated 
;o suit this description of plants also. 



CHOICE OP FRUIT TREES. 255 

*0N THE CHOICE OF FRUIT TREES IN THE NURSERY. 

In the choice of fruit trees, all possible care and at- 
tention is necessary ; for to have trees that do not an- 
swer the expectations of the proprietor is a great dis- 
■appointment. As the young gardener may need such 
directions as are calculated to govern him in his 
<)hoice, I shall endeavour to furnish them, Of what- 
ever species or variety of fruit trees are wanted, choose 
those that are vigorous and straight, and of a healthy 
appearance. Whether they have been grafted or bud- 
ded, be careful to select such as have been worked on 
young stocks. Grafts and buds inserted into old 
crooked stunted stocks, seldom succeed well. Trees 
that are healthy, have always a smooth, clean, shining 
bark ; such as are mossy, or have a rough wrinkled 
bark, or are the least affected by canker, should be re- 
jected. Canker is discoverable in the young wood, 
and generally two or three inches above the graft or 
bud. Ifthetreebe an Apricot, Nectarine, Peach or 
Plum, and any gum appears on the lower part of it, do 
not fix upon that. Let the tree you select (if a dwarf) 
be worked about six inches from the ground, and only 
one graft or bud should be upon each stock, for when 
there are more, the tree cannot be brought to so hand- 
some a form. 

In some of the preceding articles, I have shown 
that some description of trees may be transplanted 
with safety, even when far advanced in growth. When 
trees of four or five years' growth, after heading down, 
that are healthy and well furnished with fruit-bearing 
wood, close up to the centre of the tree, can be obtain- 
ed, they will'do very well ; but great care is requisite in 
taking up, removing and planting such. Let the tree be 
taken up with as great a portion of the roots as possible, 
taking care not to bruise, split, or damage them ; for 
want of attention to these points, trees often become 
diseased. Whenever (notwithstanding all due caution) 
any roots having been accidentally broken, split, or 
otherwise damaged in taking up the tree, let them be cut 

24 



256 CHOICE OF FRUIT TREES. 

ofl'; or if they cannot be well spared, let the damaged or 
bruised part be pared clean with a sharp knife, and an 
application of the following composition be spread over 
the wound, in order to keep the wet from it, which would 
otherwise injure the tree. To equal parts of soft soap 
and tar, add a little bees' wax ; let them be boiled to- 
gether, and when cold, they may be used. The neces- 
sity of pruning-in and dressing mangled roots, is more 
particularly required in trees of the stone fruit, such as 
Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, PJums, &c. ; for with- 
out the apphcation of some remedy, they gum at the 
roots, which defect, if not counteracted, very materially 
injures the upper part of the trees, which may become 
so affected as never to recover afterwards ; therefore, 
great care should be taken not to occasion such injury ; 
and when accidents happen, all due caution and appli- 
cation is necessary, to promote a healthy and vigourous 
growth. 

A young tree, likely to do well, should have roots 
nearly corresponding to the branches, at least, it should 
have one strong root in a similar proportion to the bole of 
the tree, with a proper distribution of branching fibres. 
Healthy roots are always smooth and clear, the colour 
of them varies a little according to the sort of the tree, 
but the older the roots are, the darker the colour is. 

After the tree is taken up, be careful in conveying it 
to the place where it is to be planted, so that the roots 
are not chafed or rubbed. If trees are to be conveyed 
a considerable distance, they should be well guarded by 
straw or otherwise, in order to prevent injury. All 
damaged bruised roots should be pruned as soon as the 
tree is taken up, but if it be necessary to prune away 
any sound good roots, such pruning should be delayed 
until the time of planting. In pruning away roots, al- 
ways let them be finished by a clear cut, and in a slop- 
ing direction, letting the slope be towards the under 
stratum, so that the wet may not be allowed to lodge 
upon the part so cut. When trees are planted at an 
advanced season, in the spring of the year, it will be 
necessary to prune the tops ; and if trees are removed 



CHOICE OF FRUIT TREES. 257 

that have been trained three or four years, and are not 
properly supplied with young wood, they must be cut 
down either wholly or partially, in order to obtain a 
sufficiency. In practising this upon Apricot and Nec- 
tarine trees, &c., always prune so as to have a leading 
shoot close below the cut, as it is very rare they will 
push a shoot below, unless there be a lead. This at- 
tention is not so particularly required in the Pear, &c., 
as such will generally push forth shoots, although no 
leading ones were left : but in all kinds the younger 
the wood is, the more certain are shoots to be pro- 
duced. If a tree that has been under training for one or 
two years, should have only one good strong leading 
shoot, and two or three weaker ones which do not pro- 
ceed from it, let the weak shoots be pruned clean away, 
and shorten the strowg one, from which a handsome 
head may afterwards be formed. For further direc- 
tions, as respects pruning and planting fruit trees, &c., 
the reader is referred to the articles from page 165 to 
188, on these subjects ; and as respects any species of 
fruit in particular, directions will be found under its dis- 
tinct head. 

In order to assist the reader to make a judicious 
choice of fruit trees, I have furnished a short descrip- 
tion of such sorts as can be best recommended. Pre- 
vious to making this selection, I carefully perused 
*' Prince's Pomological Manual," also such parts of 
" Kenrick's American Orchardist," and " Lindley's 
Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden," as was ap- 
plicable to my subject ; besides these important guides, 
I had the select catalogues of different nurserymen be- 
fore me, and have chosen such only as have been most 
generally recommended ; in doing this, I have had diffi- 
culties to contend with, the nature of which none but 
those who have duly considered the subject can form 
any idea. The facility with which seedling plants are 
raised, and the paternal fondness with which people are 
apt to regard their own seedlings, have occasioned hun- 
dreds of names to appear in the various catalogue.? 



258 APPLE TREES, 

which tend not a little to swell the large and increasing: 
list of fruits. 

In many instances, the English, French, Spanish and 
other names, provisional, local, and barbarous, are given 
to the same variety, consequently some fruits appear 
in the different catalogues under all the varied names ; 
and the patience and labour necessarily requisite for 
ascertaining what are worthy of cultivation, and what 
are really distinct varieties, is correspondingly great. 

The annexed list and description of the first fifty 
varieties of apples, was politely furnished by William 
R. Prince, Esq., author of the " Pomological Manual," 
" Treatise on the Vine," &c. ; in making out the other 
lists, I have generally adopted the names given in the 
catalogue of Michael Floy and Sons of the Harlaem 
Nursery, as a heading ; and have caused the synonims 
or names by which the same variety is known or has 
been called, to be printed in italics, thus, my hsts of 
about 300 varieties of the various sorts of fruit, wiB 
embrace what has been deemed by some, as different 
varieties, perhaps to the number of a thousand. 

APPLES. 

1: June eating, Juniting, or Geniton. — The fruit is small, of 
a roundish form, and yellow colour ; it ripens in July ; the pulp is 
tender and juicy ; the tree a good bearer, and of small, low 
growth. 

2. Early red Margaret, or red June eating. — The fruit is 
small and roundish ; colour red striped ; the pulp sweet, and of 
pleasant flavour ; it ripens in July. 

3. Spring Grove. — The fruit small, and of a conical form, 
and pale green colour ; it is ripe in July, and continues till Sep- 
tember ; the pulp is soft and juicy ; tree hardy, a great bearer, 
and the fruit chiefly used in the kitchen. 

4. Prince's Yellow Harvest. — The fruit of a medium size, 
depressed ; of a pale yellow colour ; the pulp is tender, slightly 
acid, but of an excellent flavour ; ripens in July. 

5. SiNEQUANON. — The fruit of medium size, roundish, but 
somewhat depressed ; of a greenish colour, and very high flavour- 
ed ; ripe in July. 

6. White Astracan. — The fruit is roundish, angular at the 
sides, of medium size ; the colour whitish, faintly streaked witijt 
red on the sun side, and covered with a white bloom ; it ripens 
in August, and the pulp is very tender, pleasant and delicate. 



APPLE TREES. 259 

7. Golden Pearmaix.— The fruit large, roundish, and of a 
deep red and yellow colour ; it ripens in August, and continues 
till October ; pulp soft and sweet ; a hardy tree, but not large ; a 
good bearer, and the fruit much esteemed. 

8. Sugar Loaf Pippin. — The fruit of medium size, ovate, or 
oblong; of a pale yellow colour ; the pulp firm, but juicy, and of 
a highly pleasant flavour ; it ripens early in August. 

9. Hawthornden. — The fruit is large, and rather flat, and of 
a pale green colour; it ripens in August, and continues till Janua- 
ry ; the pulp soft, juicy, and acid ; a very hardy tree ; a great 
bearer, and the fruit good for all kitchen purposes. 

10. Red and Green Sweeting. — The fruit large, of oblong 
shape ; green colour, striped with red ; ripens in August and 
September. The pulp is very sweet, tender, and of pleasant 
flavour. 

11. Borsdorp. — Fruit medium size, conical form, and of a 
yellow green colour ; it ripens in September, and continues till 
February ; the pulp is firm, and of an aromatic flavour ; tree of 
low growtli, a middling bearer, but an excellent fruit for the table. 

12. Fall Pippin. —The fruit very large, of a roundish shape ; 
yellow colour; the pidp very tender, and of good flavour; ripens 
in September and October. 

13. Old Golden Pippin. — The fruit small, roundish, and a 
gold yellow color ; it ripens in September and October ; flesh 
firm and sweet, fit both for the dessert and kiichen. 

14. Pumpkin Sweeting. — Fruit large, of pale yellow colour; 
pulp very sweet and pleasant ; ripens in October and November. 

15. American Nonpareil. — Fruit large and flat ; colour 
yellowish ground, striped vidth red ; pulp very tender, juicy, and 
high flavoured ; ripens in October and November. 

16. Newtown Spitzenburg. — The fruit of medium size, 
roundish and depressed ; colour of a pale yellowish ground, 
greenish where shaded, but red next the sun; pulp very sweet, 
rich and pleasant ; ripens in October and November. 

17. Wood's Transparent. — Fruit small and flat, and of a 
green and yellow colour ; ripens in October, and continues till 
February ; flesh firm and juicy ; hardy tree, great bearer, and ex- 
cellent fruit, 

18. Sweet Bough. — Fruit large, ovate, of pale yellow colour; 
tender, sweet, and pleasant in flavour ; ripens in August. 

19. Ribstone Pippin. — Fruit of medium size, roundish, and 
partially depressed ; of a pale yellow colour, tinned with red ; 
pulp slightly acid, and of fine flavour ; ripens iii November, and 
continues till April. 

20. Rhode Island Greening. — Fruit large and depressed, of 
a greenish colour; slightly acid, and of fine flavour; ripens in 
November, and continues till April. 

21. Holland Pippin. — Fruit medium size, ovate form, and of 
a gold and green colour; it ripens in October, and continues till 
February ; flesh crisp and firm ; tree hardy and large ; a good 
bearer, and much esteemed fruit, 

24* 



260 APPLE TREES. 

22. SEfiK NO Further. — Fruit of medium size, depressed; of 
a whitish colour ; flesh very tender, and of pleasant flavour ; ri- 
pens in November, and continues till March. 

23. Esopus Spitzenburg. — Fruit large and oval ; of red co- 
lour ; flesh yellowish; slightly acid, and of the finest flavour; 
ripens in October, and continues till February. 

24. Pennock Red Winter. — Fruit very large and compress- 
ed ; of deep red colour ; flesh tender, juicy, and of sweet and 
pleasant flavour ; ripens in November. 

25. Flushing Spitzenburg. — Fruit large, roundish, some- 
what compressed ; red striped colour, and of sweet and pleasant 
flavour ; ripens in November, and continues till March. 

26. Red Winter Sweeting. — Fruit large and compressed ; 
of reddish colour; and of sweet and delicious flavour ; ripens in 
JN'ovember, and continues till March. 

27. Green Newtown Pippin. — Fruit medium size, com- 
pressed ; of pale green colour; flesh very high flavoured ; ripens 
in December, and keeps till June. 

2S. Bringewood Pippin. — Fruit small, nearly globular; coloisr 
bright yellow, tinged with red, pulp exceeding sweet, and highly 
perfumed. 

29. DowNTON Pippin. — Fruit of moderate size, cylindrical, 
flattened at the ends; of yellow colour, with numerous specks; 
flesh firm, rich and subacid; ripens in October and November, 

30. English Nonpareil. — Fruit of medium size, and flat ; 
of a greenish yellow colour, with a slight russet; flesh firm, rich 
and aromatic ; ripens in November, and continues till May. 

31. Fenouillet Gris. — Fruit rather small, roundish, ovate, of 
a yellowish gray colour, with a shght russet ; pulp tender, saccha- 
rine, and high flavoured; ripens in November, and continues 
good till February. 

32. Red Winter Calville. — Fruit large and oblong, of a 
pale red colour, deeper next the sun ; flesh tender and of pleasant 
flavour; ripens in November. 

33. Dredge's Beauty of Wilts. — Fruit medium size and 
oval form, of a bright yellow, spotted with red ; it ripens in Oc- 
tober, and lasts tiUMarch ; pulp firm and juicy ; a great bearer, 
and the fruit good for all kitchen purposes. 

34. Ortley Pippin. — Fruit of large size, pale yellow colour, 
ofte;! a tinge of red on the sunny side ; flesh firm and high fla- 
voured ; ripens in November, and lasts till April. 

35. Lemon Pippin. — Fruit of medium size, oval shape; colour 
yellowish green ; flesh firm, pleasant, but not high flavoured ; 
ripens in October, and lasts till March. 

36. Blenheim Pippin. — Fruit large, roundish, of a yellowish 
colour, tinged with red next the sun ; pulp sweet and high fla- 
voured ; ripe in November, and keeps till March. 

37. Graveinstein. — Fruit rather large and compressed ; of a 
yellowish green colour, striped with red, and high flavoured ; ri- 
pens in October, and lasts till January. 

38. Alexander. — Fruit very large, somewhat cordate, smallest 



APPLE TREES, 261 

at the crown ; of a greenish yellow colour, striped or marbled 
with red ; pulp tender, sweet, rich and aromatic ; ripens in Oc- 
tober, and lasts till February. Though a large, hardy tree, it is 
u medium bearer, but a magnificent fruit. 

39. Franklin Golden Pippin. — Fruit a medium size, conica!, 
of a golden yellow colour, with gray and dark coloured specks ; 
it ripens in November, and continues till March ; flesh firm, and 
highly aromatic ; tree rather slender, and middling bearer, but an 
excellent fruit. 

40. Rambour Franc. — Fruit large and compressed ; of pale 
yellow colour, tinged with red ; flesh tender, with a slight acidity; 
ripens in October and November. 

41. Newark King. — Fruit large, oval shape ; colour red, 
striped with yellow; the pulp of pleasant flavour ; ripens in Oc- 
tober, and lasts till January. 

42. Priestly. — Fruit large, oblong ; of a dull red colour, 
faintly striped ; the flesh of pleasant and aromatic flavour ; ripens 
in December, and continues till April. 

43. Hughes' Golden Pippin. — Fruit small, round, but par- 
tially depressed ; of yellow colour, with numerous specks ; flesh 
firm, juicy, rich, pungent and agreeable ; ripens in October, and 
lasts till January. 

44. Beauty of Kent. — Fruit rather large, and of h-regular 
shape ; of a yellowish green colour, mottled with red ; flesh firm 
and juicy, A\'ith a pleasant acid flavour ; ripens in October, and 
continues till January. 

45. Monstrous Pipphc. — Fruit of enormous size, often weigh- 
ing twenty-five ounces or more; of a pale lemon colour; flesh 
tender, and of sprightly flavour, excellent for cooking ; ripens in 
October, and continues fit for use till January. 

46. Long Island Russet. — Fruit of medium size, depressed ; 
russetty colour, and of pleasant flavour ; ripens by November, 
and continues till March. 

47. Winter Sweet Pearmain. — Fruit small, roundish; of 
a dull red colour, with green stripes; pulp very sweet, and of 
peculiar flavour; ripens in November, and keeps till March. 

48. Lady Apple, orPomme D^apis. — Fruit small, flat; of pale 
yellow colour, tinged with a deep red on the side ; flesh crisp, 
sprightly and pleasant ; ripens in November, and continues till 
April. 

49. Pomme Grise. — Fruit rather large, somewhat depressed; 
russetty ; of pleasant flavour ; ripens in NoTember, and lasts 
till March. 

50. Norfolk Beaufin. — Fruit middling size, flattish, and a 
deep red and pale green colour; it ripens in November and Decem- 
ber, and lasts till August ; flesh firm and savoury ; tree hardy and 
upright, and a good bearer ; fruit excellent for use in the kitchen. 

51. Early Crofton, or Irish Peach Apple. — An Irish apple, of 
the middle size and flattish shape; of an olive green colour, 
much variegated with red ; has a rich saccharine flavour ; ripens 
in August ;" it is much esteemed for the dessert, and excellent 



262 APPLE TREES. 

also as a sauce apple. The tree grows well and is not apt to 
canker. 

52. Dowbll's Pippin. — In size and form this apple resembles 
the Ribstone Pippin, but is more pointed at the head, and the 
eye is sunk in a more confined and deeper cavity ; the skin is 
green, nearly covered with a clear thin russet, and a slight tinge 
of brownish red on the sunny side; an excellent dessert apple 
from October to Christmas. 

53. Barcelona Pearmain, Glace Rouge, Kleiner Casseler Rei- 
nette, Reinette Rouge, Reinette Rousse, Reitiette des Cannes. — 
Fruit of medium size, oval, not angular; colour, brownish yellow- 
in the shade, but deep red next the sun ; flesh firm, yellowish, 
with a rich aromatic but slightly agreeable acid. A dessert ap- 
ple from November till February. Tree a good bearer. 

54. Bell Flower. — A very large and beautiful apple, its co- 
lour bright yellow, with an occasional blush on the sunny side ; 
its form oblong ; the flesh tender, juicy, rich, and finely flavour- 
ed, and is alike excellent for the dessert or for cooking. It ripens 
early in November and will keep all the winter. 

55. Court Pendu, Capendu, Court Pendu Plat, Garnon's 
Apple. — An estimable dessert apple of nonpareil size [small] ; 
very flat in shape, the colour yellow, a good deal covered with 
full red ; it is of high saccharine flavour and of close consistence ; 
the fruit keeps till February or March. The tree grows up- 
right and bears well. 

56. Malcarle, Charles Apple, Mela Carla. — A far famed fruit. 
In the chmate of Italy this is supposed to be the best apple in the 
world. It is cultivated extensively in the territories of Genoa, as 
an article of export and commerce to Nice, Barcelona, Cadiz, and 
Marseilles. The fruit is rather large, its form inclining to glo- 
bular; Its beautiful waxen skin is a httle marbled with a very 
faint green near the eye ; its colour in the shade is a pale yellow 
tinged with flaming crimson next the sun ; the flesh is white, 
tender, delicate, sweet, with the fragrant perfume of roses. It 
ripens in September and will keep till spring. 

57. Stroat, Straat. — Is an autumn fruit, it is stated to be ten- 
der, juicy, well flavoured, and according to Mr. Buel, in excel- 
lence it is not surpassed by any fruit in its season ; a native. 

58. SwAAR Apple. — It is a highly celebrated winter table fruit 
in £ome parts of New York, and New Jersey ; it is a large green 
apple of great and uncommon flavour and richness ; highly de- 
serving cultivation in every collection of fine fruits. 

59. Golden Harvey, Brandy Apple. — A dessert apple not 
larger than the Golden Pippin ; colour light yellow, with a flush 
of red and embroidered with a roughish russet. It is called 
Brandy Apple from the superior specific strength of its jxiice ; is 
of remarkably close texture, very rich in flavour, and will keep 
till April or May. 

60. Siberian Harvey. — This fruit, which was raised by Mr. 
Knight from the Siberian Crab and Golden Harvey, is stated to 
be a small globular fruit, of a bright gold colour, stained with deep 



APRICOT TREES. 263 

red on the side next the sun ; the fruit growing in clusters on 
slender branches ; the juice exceeding sweet j ripe i» October. 
Specific gravity of its juice, 1,091. 

APRICOTS. 

1. Red Masculine, Mricot Precoce^ Mricot Hatrf J\![usque, 
Early Masculine.— This is an old variety, the fruit of which is 
small, of a roundish form, and greenish red colour ; the pulp is 
tender ; the tree a good bearer, and the fruit esteemed for its 
earliness and tart taste ; ripens in July. 

2. Hemskirke. — Fruit middle sized, roundish, slightly com- 
pressed ; of a bright yellow colour ; flesh tender, juicy, with a 
particularly rich, delicate flavour, resembling that of the Greere 
Gage Plum; ripe in July. 

3. MuscH-MuscH.— Fruit round, of a deep yellow colour ; re- 
markable for the transparency of its pulp, through which the 
stone is visible : the flesh is very fine and agreeable ; ripens ii* 
July. 

4. Early Orange, Royal George, Royal Orange.— The fruit of a 
medium size, of a deep yellow colour, spotted with red or dark 
purple next the sun ^ flesh deep orange, succulent and well fla- 
voured ; not perfectly a freestone ; ripens early in August. 

5. Breda, Jlbricot de Hollande,\ Amande Aveline, Roijal Persian^ 
— Fruit medium size, of a round form, and deep yellow colour ; 
the pulp is soft and juicy ; the tree a great bearer, and the fruit, 
which ripens early in August, is in great esteem. 

6. Brussels. — Highly esteemed for its productiveness: fruit 
medium size, inclining to an oval form ; of a red colour next the 
sun, covered with numerous dark spots ; the flesh is of a greenish 
yellow colour, of a brisk flavour, and not liable to become mealy j 
ripens in August. 

7. MooRPARK, Hanson's, Templets, Dunmore's Breda. — The tree 
is of vigorous growth, and extraordinarily productive; the fruit is 
very large, of a bright gold colour, or orange, with dark spots next 
the sun ; flesh orange colour, melting and excellent j ripens early 
in September. 

8. Purple, Alexandrian Apricot, Abricot Angoumois, Abricot Vio- 
let, Black Apricot. — A small, globular, downy fruit, a little oblong; 
of a pale red colour, becoming deep red or purple next the sun ; 
flesh pale red, but orange next the stone ; a Uttle acid, but good ; 
ripens in August. 

9. Turkey, Large Turkey. — A superior apricot ; fruit of a me- 
dium size, deep yellow colour, with red blotches next the sun ; 
form globular; flesh firm, juicy, rich and excellent ; ripe by the 
end of July. 

10. Peach Apricot, Abricot Peche, Abricot de Jf amy, Imperial 
Ansons. — This is a first rate fruit ; form variable, generally flat- 
tened ; skin slightly downy ; fawn colour next the sun, tinged 
with reddish spots or points ; pulp yellow, melting, juice abua* 
4ant, high flavoured and excellent ; ripens early in August. 



264 



CHERRY TREES. 



11. Blotched h^AVEDRoM-Ati, Blotched Leaved Turkey, Varia- 
gated Turkey, Mricot Macule.— Tree vigorous and productive ; 
fruit large size and round form ; of a deep yellow colour, but the 
pulp not very juicy; ripens early in August. 

12. -Royal, Abricot Royale. — This fruit is next in size to the 
Moorpark, rather oval, compressed ; of dull yellow colour, slightly 
red; flesh pale orange, firm, juicy, sweet, and high flavoured, 
with a slight acid ; ripens early in August. 

CHERRIES. 

The first 14 varieties are round fruit, the last 16 heart shaped. 

1. Early May, Small Early May. — This variety is well calcu- 
lated to be trained in espaUer form, being naturally dwarfish. 
The fruit, which is of small size, is ripe before any other ; its 
taste acid but pleasant, and the skin of a red colour. 

2. May Duke. — Fruit medium size, round, and a red colour ; 
it ripens in the beginning of June, and the flesh is a soft and an 
agreeable acid ; the tree a good bearer, and the fruit excellent. 

3. Late Duke, June Duke. — A cherry of large size ; flesh very 
rich ; it ripens in July and lasts long on the tre^, improving in its 
flavour. The tree is of vigorous growth and an abundant bearer. 

4. Ambree, Cerise Ambree. — A large cherry with a round 
head, flattened at the opposite end ; marbled with red and yellow 
in the shade, bright red next the sun ; flesh white, somewhat 
transparent, veiy juicy, sweet, and excellent, ripe in June and July. 

5. Arch Duke, Griotte de Portugal, Portugal Duke. — A large 
globular red cherry ; like the May Duke, it grows in clusters, but 
the tree grows more vigorous than that variety ; an^ exceflent 
cherry, and a great bearer ; ripe in July. 

6. Belle de Choisy, Cerise de la Palembree, Cerise Doucette. — 
A middle sized, roundish fruit, growing in pairs on a forked stalk; 
skin transparent, red, mottled with amber; flesh amber coloured, 
tender and sweet. 

7. Carnation, Late Spanish, Wax Carnation. — This fruit, which 
derives its title from its colour, is of a large size ; the skin is a 
yellowish white, beautifully mottled with red ; the flesh yellow, 
rather firm, and of a pleasant taste, but less sweet than many 
other varieties ; the juice is sprightly, and of a pale colour. This 
cherry ripens in July, and is held in high esteem for preserves. 

8. Holman's Duke. — The branches of this tree are more spread- 
ing than the May Duke; the fruit is larger, of equally fine fla- 
vour, and ripens about two or three weeks later. 

9. Prince's Duke. — This cherry was raised in the Flushing 
Nursery, from the seed of a Carnation cherry. The fruit is of a 
red colour, shaped like that of its parent, and much compressed ; 
very rich and luscious when at perfect maturity, which is in July. 

10. Kentish, Cerisier de Montmorency, Long Stem Montmorency. 
— Fruit of a bright red colour ; ripens in July, and has an agreea- 
ble acid flavour ; tree a great bearer, and fruit much esteemed 
when full ripe ; the skin is then of a dark red colour. 



CHERRY TREES. . 265 

11. SHORt Stem Montmoremct, Montmorency a gros fru{t,Gros 
<Gobet, Gobet a Courte Queue, Cerise de VUaine, Cerisier Coulard, — 
This tree produces abundance of flowers, but the French com- 
plain that the fruit does not set well ; it is therefore found only in 
the gardens of those who prefer the fine quality to the quantity of 
fruit. The cherry is large, flattened at both ends ; the skin is of 
a brilliant red, and not very dark ; the flesh is yellowish white, 
slightly acid, and highly pleasant. This fruit is considered by 
some as one of the best cultivated ; it ripens in July. 

12. MoRELLo, Milan, Cerise du J^ord, English Morello. — The 
fruit medium sized, round ; nearly black when at maturity ; tree 
a great bearer; the fruit will keep late, and is excellent for pre- 
serving and for brandy. 

13. Plumstone Morello. — A tree of moderate size, of the 
Duke or Kentish species ; a very large, dark, round cherry, nearly 
black ; of a rich acid flavour. The stone is very large, and re- 
sembles that of a plum ; a native of Virginia, introduced by Wra. 
Prince, Esq., of the Linncean Botanic Garden, Flushing. 

14. Waterloo. — A large, round, dark red fruit, inclining to 
black at maturity ; the flesh is firm, and of an excellent flavour ; 
raised by a daughter of Mr. Knight, and so named from its per- 
fecting its fruit soon after the battle of Waterloo. The tree is of 
strong but irregular growth. 

15. Gascoign's Bleeding Heart. — Fruit large, oblong, or 
heart shaped, of a dark red colour ; its flesh pretty firm, of a 
pleasant and fine flavour ; ripe in June. 

16. BiGARREAU, Graffion, Turkey Bigarreau, White Ox Heart- 
Very large, obtuse, heart shaped, yellowish amber colour, but fine 
red next the sun ; flesh firm, white, sweet and well flavoured ; a 
beautiful and excellent fruit, not very productive ; ripe in June 
and July. 

17. BlackEagle.— A cherry of globular form, and middle size; 
dark purple, or nearly black ; flesh very tender, rich, and of ex- 
cellent flavour, and ripens early. The tree grows strong and very 
upright. 

18. Black Heart, Guignier a Fruit .Yotr.— Fruit rather large, 
heart shaped; dark purple, approaching to black at maturity; 
flesh dark red, tender, of excellent flavour; ripe early in July; 
tree a good bearer. 

19. Black Tartarian, Black Circassian, Fraser^s Black Tarta- 
rian Black Russian,RonaWs Large BlackHeart, Fraser^s Black Hearts 
A very large, heart shaped fruit, of a most superior quality; co- 
lour dark shining purple, or black ; flesh firm, dark red or purple, 
sweet, and of most excellent flavour. The tree and fruit combine 
an assemblage of good qualities ; an elegant, very rapid growing 
tree, of great productiveness; very large and beautiful fruit, and 
excelltent quality, ripening in June and July. 

20. White Tartarian, White Transparent Crimea, Fraser^s 
White.— A beautiful cherry, pale yellow, approaching to an amber 
next the sun ; a much admired fruit, of excellent flavour ; a good 
bearer, ripening early in July. This tree grows vigorous and up- 



266 NECTARINE TREES. 

right ; it is thus readily distinguished from another variety, bear* 
ing the same title. 

21. BtAi:K Carone, Couronne, Coroun.^^Thia is a large and 
improved variety of the Black Mazzard, which it resembles in 
form, colour and general properties ; the fruit ripens in July ; the 
tree yields plentiful crops. 

22. Herefordshire Black, Late Black Heart. — Large, black, 
and heart shaped ; a most excellent cherry, and a great bearer j 
and more valuable for ripening late, vk^hen most varieties are 
gone. 

23. Elkhorn, Black Ox HearL^^k large cherry, ripening be- 
tween the Black Heart and the latest varieties ; its flesh remark- 
ably hard, and very peculiar ; and though not high flavoured, it 
is supposed by some, that from its soHd consistence, it may be 
profitably cultivated, to be transported from a distance to market. 

24. Elton. — The tree is very vigorous and productive ; the 
fruit is pretty large, heart shaped ; pale glossy yellow in the 
shade, but marbled with bright red next the sun; flesh firm^ 
sweet and rich ; ripens early in July. 

25. Florence. — Large, heart shaped, depressed ; of a yellow 
amber colour, marbled with bright red in the shade ; bright red 
next the sun ; tolerably firm, juicy, rich and sweet ; ripe end of 
June. 

26. Harrison's Heart, Red Ox Heart. — A large heart shaped 
cherry, yellowish or amber colour, but light red next the sun ; 
flesh tender and high flavoured ; ripens early in July. 

27. Knight's Early Black.— Blossoms early; fruit resembles 
the Waterloo; ofa rich dark hue; its flesh is firm and juicy ; it 
is abundantly sweet, and ripens by the middle of June. 

28. Rkmington White Heart.— A moderate sized cherry, 
of moderate flavour; chiefly valuable for its very late maturity j 
said to have originated in Rhode Island. 

29. White Heart. — This cherry ripens immediately after the 
May Duke ; the fruit is of medium size, oblong and heart shaped , 
the skin is of a fine appearance, being a yellowish white on the 
one side, and tinged with pale red next the sun ; the flesh is rather 
firm, of pleasant flavour, accompanied by a honied sweetness j 
but the tree bears very indifferently. 

30. DowNTON. — A new variety, raised by Mr. Knight. Fruit 
rather round, inclining to heart shape ; of a pale yellow colour, 
sprinkled with minute red spots, and large patches of dull red or 
maroon ; flesh pale amber colour, tender and juicy, very sweet 
and high flavoured ; ripens early in July. 

NECTARINES. 

The first thirteen varieties are freestones, the last seven are 
pavies or clingstones. 

1- Fairchild's Early.— Fruit very early, but small ; of globu- 
lar shape ; yellow in the shade, deep scarlet next the sun ; flesh 
yellow, not juicy, but well flavoured ; ripens early in August. 



NECTARINE TREES. 267 

%. Miller's Elruge, — One of the very best and most higli 
Jgavoured nectarines ; fruit medium size, of a dark red and pal« 
yellow colour ; pulp melting, very juicy, rich and high flavoured ; 
•ripens middle of August. 

3. Early Violet, Violette Hative, Petite Violette "Hative, Violet, 
Lord Selsey''s Elnige, Large Scarlet. — Fruit variable in size, gene- 
rally medium ; pale yellowish green, but darkish purple red next 
the sun ; flesh melting, juicy, rich and excellent ; ripe in August. 

4. Pitmaston's Orange. — A good sized globular or heart 
shaped frait, of a rich yellow colour, but dark crimson or purple 
next the sun ; flesh golden yellow, but red next the stone from 
which it separates ; it is melting, juicy, saccharine and high fla- 
voured ; ripe middle and end of August. 

5. Vermash, True Vermash. — This fruit is of rather small size, 
and of round form, tapering towards the eye ; the skin is a very 
deep red colom* next the sun, and of greenish hue on the other 
side ; pulp rich, melting and juicy. The fruit is at maturity in 
August. 

6. Aromatic. — A middle sized, rather globular fruit, deep red 
or brown next the sun ; flesh pale straw, but red at the stone ; 
juice of a rich vinous flavour ; ripe by the end of August. 

7. White Nectarine, Old White, Brugnon Blanc Mmquee, 
^"ectarine Blanche de Weitzenfeld. — Fruit middle sized, roundish ; 
colour very pale yellowish green, becoming almost white in the 
shade, and slightly tinged with red next the sun ; flesh tender and 
juicy, with a line vinous flavour ; ripens early in September. 

S. Common Elruge. — Fruit large, roundish, inclining to oval ; 
skin deep violet or blood colour' when exposed, with iriinute brown- 
ish specks, paler in the shade ; flesh whitish, melting, very juicy, 
rich and liigh flavoured ; a much esteemed fruit, ripening early. 

9. Scarlet. — Fruit medium size, of a beautiful scarlet colour 
next the sun, and pale red on the shaded side ; the flesh separates 
from the stone, and is at maturity in August. 

10. Temples. — A fruit beloAv niedium size, rather oblong ; 
pale red next the smi ; flesh white ; it shrivels Avhen ripe ; very 
juicy, rich, and of fine flavour, and is at maturity in September. 

11. Peterborough, Lcfie Green. — The fruit is of medium size, 
round form, and always of a green colour ; the part next the svm 
being of the deepest green, and the other side of a paler hue ; the 
flesh is firm and of pleasant flavour ; and the fruit lasts till Oc- 
tober. 

12. MuRRY. — Fruit medium size, dingy red and pale green 
colour, and has a rich juicy flavour. A much esteemed fruit. 

13. White or Flanders Nectarine, J^ew White, Emmerson^s 
A'eiy White. — A middle sized, roundish, very pale fruit, slightly 
tinged with red next the sun ; flesh tender and juicy, -with a fine 
vinous flavour. The Pomological Magazine describes this as a 
clingstone ; Lindley as a freestone. 

14. Early Newington, Lucombe^s Seedling. — Fiaiit large, ripens 
in August, and is of a deep red colour; pulp super excellent ; con- 
sidered by some as the best of all nectarines. 

25 



268 PEACH TREES. 

15. Italian, Brugnon or Italian. — A large globular pale yel- 
low fruit, marbled with dark red next the sun ; flesh firm, yellow^ 
red at the stone, juicy, rich and excellent ; ripe in August. 

16. Brugnon Violet Musque, Brugnon Musque.—Fimt large^ 
of a deep red and yellow colour ; skin very smooth; flesh yellow^ 
but red at the stone ; saccharine, vinous, musky ; at maturity in 
September. 

17. Golden. — Fruit medium size, of the finest orangexoloury 
deUcately and beautifully mottled with red next the sun, which 
gives to it a clear waxen appearance ; flesh firm, yellow, pale red 
at the stone, and has a poignant, rich flavour ; ripens in Sep- 
tember. 

18. Red Roman, Roman Red. — A very excellent nectarine, of 
large size ; the skin dark red next to the sun, and of a yellowish 
hue on the other side ; flesh yellowish, but red next the stone ; it 
abounds with rich juice when fully ripe, which is about the middle 
of September. 

19. Scarlet Newington, Late J^e^vington, Old J^ewington. — 
This variety is much esteemed ; the fruit large, of a beautiful red 
colour next the sun, and a fine yellow on the other side ; its quality 
is excellent, being rich and juicy ; ripe by the middle of Sep- 
tember. 

20. Tawny Newington.— Fruit largish, somewhat ovate ; 
tawny coloured, marbled with dull red or orange next the sun • 
flesh pale yellow, but red at the stone ; very juicy, sugary, and of 
the most delicious flavour; ripens in September. 



The first thirty-eight varieties are freestones, the last twelvey 
pavies or clingstones. 

1. White Ndtmeg, ^vant Peche Blanche. — Fruit small, round, 
and of white colour ; juice 'sugary and musky ; esteemed for being 
the first sort ripe.— July. 

2. Red Nutmeg, Brown Mitmeg, Avant Peche Rouge. — The 
growth of this tree is exceedingly slow, its habits dwarfish. The 
fruit, which is at maturity by the middle of July, is of yellow and 
red colour ; the pulp is rich and musky, and esteemed for its pre- 
cocity. 

3. Green Nutmeg, Early Anne. — This variety is said to have 
originated in Berkshire, England. The fruit is of round form ; 
colour yellowish green, tinged with red ; pulp melting, juicy, and 
of very pleasant flavour ; the tree is a good bearer, and the fruit 
ripens early in August. Murray's Early Anne is a variety raised 
from the seed of this. 

4. Neils' Early Purple, Early Purple of Miller, Johnson's Pur- 
ple Avant, Padley''s Early Purple, Veritable Pourpree Hative, Peche 
du Vin. — One of the most beautiful of peaches ; of largish size, 
and of a fine deep red and purplish colour ; it ripens in the middle 
of August; flesh melting, juicy, with a rich vinous flavoiu: ; an 
excellent fruit. 



PEACH TREES.' 269 

5. MoNTAUBON. — Fruit round, of medium size ; colour dark red, 
®,pproaching to purple next the sun, but of yellowish green on the 
other side ; flesh tender, melting, rich, juicy, and of pleasant f -^ 
vour ; ripens in August. 

6. Sweet Water, Early Sweet TFafcn— This variety is said to 
have originated at Flushing ; its form is round, and its colour 
whitish green at maturity, which is early in August ; the flesh is 
very tender, melting, rich and juicy. 

7. Brevoort's Seedling. — A superior freestone peach, raised 
by Henry Brevoort, Esq., of New- York ; pulp tender, juicy, and 
of excellent flavour ; ripens in August. 

8. Petite Mignonne, Double de Troyes,Peche deTroyes, Migno- 
7iette.—The tree is of feeble growth, but productive ; skin downy, 
fine, pale yellow, but red next the sun ; flesh melting, juice abun- 
dant and of fine flavour ; ripens in August. 

9. Emperor of Russia, Serrated Leaf, or Unique. — The tree is 
of medium vigour, but the young wood is said to be subject to mil- 
dew ; the fruit, which ripens early in August, is deeply cleft, one 
half of it projecting considerably beyond the other; the flavour of 
the flesh is very good. This sort originated in New- Jersey twenty 
years ago, and all the stones of this fruit are said to produce plants 
with jagged leaves. 

10. Washington Peach. — A first rate peach: colour a pale 
yellow in the shade, but dark red next the sun ; flesh very juicy 
and deUcious ; ripens towards tlie end of August. 

11. Madeleine de Courson, Madeleine Rouge,Rouge Paysanne, 
Red Magdalen of Millerc— An excellent fruit, of large size, and fine 
red colour ; ripens at the end of August; flesh firm, wliite, very 
red at the stone ; sugary and very rich. 

12. Double Montagne.'-— A beautiful and excellent peach, of 
middle size ; skin greenishjwhite, but soft red, marbled with a deep- 
er red next the sun ; flesh melting ; juice plentiful, and highly fla- 
voured ; ripe in August. 

13. Spring Grove. — A medium sized fruit, of a globular form ; 
greenish yellow, but bright crimson next the sun ; pulp juicy, rich 
and high flavoured ; ripens in August. 

14. White Magdalen. — Fruit rather large and round, slightly 
striped with red, and of a yellowish white colour ; it ripens in Au- 
gust ; flesh white, fine, melting, and pretty high flavoured. 

15. Belle Chevreuse. — Fruit medium size, oblong form, and 
of a red and yellow colour ; ripens in the end of August ; the pulp 
is ricli, juicy and sugary ; tree a good bearer, and the fruit highly 
esteemed. 

16. Malta, Peche Malte, Belle de Paris, Malte de Xormandie.— 
Fruit above the medium size ; pale yellowish green, marbled ^vith 
purplish red ; flesh yellowish, juicy, rich, vinous and of superior 
flavour ; ripens at the end of August. 

17. Acton Scot. — Fruit below the medium size ; colour pale 
3'ellow, but bright red and marbled next the sun ; flesh melting, 
juicy, and pretty good. 

18. Royal Kensington.— Fruit of a high red and yellow co- 



270 PEACH TREES. 

lour ; flesh rich and juicy when at maturity, which is early in Sep- 
tember ; a first rate peach. 

19. Noblesse.— The tree is of vigorous growth, and very pro- 
ductive; fruit large, and of a pale red colour; pulp juicy, rich and 
melting when at maturity, which is early in September. 

20. Van Zandt's Superb, Waxen Rareripe.— This variety ori- 
ginated with Mr. Van Zandt, of Flushing ; its skin is smooth, 
somewhat mottled, and of a beautiful waxen appearance ; flesh 
melting, and of excellent flavour. 

21. Grosse Mignonne, Veloutee de Merlet, Grimioood's Royal 
George, Large French Mignonne, Vi7ieuse.— One of the most beau- 
tiful and delicious varieties in cultivation. The fruit is large, of a 
beautiful red or rose colour, and greenish yellow ; pulp tender, 
juicy and high flavoured when in perfection, which is early in Sep- 
tember. 

22. Bellegarde, Galande, Violette Hative, Koire de Montreuil.— 
The tree is vigorous and productive ; fruit medium size, much co- 
loured, and almost black ; flesh fii-m, saccharine and juicy ; a first 
rate fruit. 

23. George the Fourth.— An excellent peach, of medium 
size and globular shape ; of pale yellow colour in the shade, and 
dark red next the sun ; flesh pale yellow, but red at the stone from 
which it separates ; a fruit of very superior flavour ^vhen at matu- 
rity, which is early in September : it originated in tlie garden of 
Mr. Gill, Broad street. New- York. 

24. Double Swalsh. — Fruit middle sized, ovate; skin pale 
yellow, but bright deep red next the sun ; flesh soft, melting and 
juicy; an excellent peach ; ripe eariy in September. 

25. Belle de Vitrt.— A large fruit, of fine red colour next the 
suti, on the opposite side a yellowish white ; form globular ; flesh 
white, stained with red at the stone ; melting, juicy, sweet, vinous 
and excellent ; ripe in September. 

26. Bourdine, Bourdin Jsfarbonne. — The fruit is large, round, 
sometimes a point at its summit ; deep red next the sun ; flesh 
melting, sweet and vinous; in perfection by the middle of Septem- 
ber ; a first rate peach. 

27. Rambouillet, Ramhullion. — Tliis fruit is of rather large size 
and oval form, with a deep sature ; it is of a fine red next the sun, 
and yellowish on the shaded side; flesh bright yellow, melting,^ 
with rich and vinous juice ; it ripens in September. 

28. Smooth Leaved Rotal George. — This is considered by 
Lindley as a superior variety : fruit above the middle size, globu- 
lar, depressed ; skin yellowish white, but of a beautiful red or car- 
mine colour next the sun ; flesh melting ; juice plentiful, and of a 
high vinous flavour ; ripening in September. 

29. Rosanna, Alberge Jaune, Peche Jaune Rousanne, St. Laurent 
Jaune, Yellow Mberge, Petite Rousanne. — A middle sized, globular- 
fruit, of a yellow colour, but next the sun deep red at maturity ; a 
deep sature extends from summit to base ; flesh melting, juicy,, 
rich, sweet, vinous and excellent ; at perfection in September. 

30. Royal George Mignonne. — A superior fruit, of globttjku 



i?EACH TREES. 271 

form ; its colour yellow and deep red ; flesh melting, juicy, sac- 
charine, vinous, and most excellent ; ripe in September. 

31. White Blossom, Willow Peach, White Blossomed Incompara- 
ble. — This variety originated on Long Island ; the fruit is perfectly 
white, of an oval form and handsome appearance ; the flesh is also 
white, melting, juicy and pleasant ; it is much used for preserves 
when not over ripe, and is at full maturity in September. 

32. Red Cheek Malagatune, Yellow Malagaton, Alberge In- 
comparable. — This variety originated at the Flushing nursery ; the 
fruit is of large size and oval form ; its colour is yellow, with a red 
cheek on the sunny side; the flesh is also yellow, melting, rich, 
juicy and luscious. There is another variety of tliis fruit, which 
originated vnth Mr. Polls, of New-York, said to be veiy produc- 
tive, and of excellent quahty ; ripens in September. 

33. Neivette, Velontee Tardive. — Fruit large, a little oblong, 
downy, green in the shade, and deep red next the sun ; flesh firm, 
saccharine and liigh flavoured ; ripens towards the end of Sep- 
tember. 

34. Late Admirable, Royde, Royal, Bourdine. — Fruit large, 
roundish, incUning to oblong ; sature deeply impressed along one 
side, having the flesh swelling boldly and equally on both sides, 
with a sHght impression on the summit ; skin down)^, of pale green 
colour, streaked with dull tawny red ; flesh wliite, delicate, melt- 
ing, juicy and high flavoured ; a " magnificent peach," ripening in 
September. Mr. Prince has the Teton de Venus under this head, 
as a synonym ; but it is generally considered as a distinct variety. 
Mr. Kenrick says, that there are two or three varieties named Te- 
ton de Venus. 

35. President. — This variety originated at Bedford, on Long 
Island. It is a rich, melting, juicy fruit, ripening in September ; it 
is of large size, roundish, with a shallow sature ; skin very downy, 
dull red next the sun, pale yellowish green in the shade ; a first 
rate peach. 

36. Hoffman's Pound. — This fruit is by some called the Mor- 
rissania, from its having beenjfirst obtainedjby Mr. Floy, from Gou- 
verneur Morris ; but it originated with Martin Hoftman, Esq., of 
New- York. The fruit is very large, weighing from twelve to 
fourteen ounces ; veiy juicy and delicious, parting from the stone ; 
greatly esteemed from its ripening late, about the middle of Oc- 
tober. 

37. Monstrous Lemon, Largest Lemon. — ^This variety was first 
discovered in the garden of Mr. Tiebout, of York Island ; the fruit 
is of the largest size, and in the gardens of two persons in New- 
York, has weighed seventeen ounces, as stated by Mr. Prince. 
He says the tree does not bear well unless the situation is a shel- 
tered one ; the fruit is late in ripening. 

38. Heath, Kenrick' s Heath. — This variety was first obtained 
from the late Gen. Heath, of Roxbury, near Boston. The fruit is 
Tery large, oblong and beautiful ; frequently weighing half a 
pound ; colour pale yellowish green, with crimson or violet next the 

25* 



272 PEACH TREES. 

sun ; its flesh is melting, juicy, rich, vinous, agreeably acid, anJ 
good ; ripens in October. 

39. Heath, Heath Clingstone. — Mr. Prince says, that the ori- 
ginal tree of this variety was discovered growing wild on the farm 
of the late Judge Willet, of Flushing, and took its name from its 
being found in a barren field. The fruit is very large, of oval or 
oblong form ; the skin is white ; the flesh is peculiarly rich and 
highly flavoured, tender, melting and juicy. There is another va- 
riety mentioned by Mr. Kenrick, and called by the same name, 
stated by Mr. Coxe to have been raised from a stone brought by Mr. 
Heath from the Mediterranean. 

40. Catharine. — Fruit large, round, variable ; colour a beautiful 
red next the sun, marbled and dashed with darker shades ; pale 
yellow in the shade ; flesh very white, tinged with yellow ; juice 
abundant, and of very rich and sweet flavour ; tree a good bearer. 

41. Pavie Admirable, Incomparable. — Fruit large, roundish; 
skin pale yellow, shaded with scarlet or deep crimson next the sun; 
flesh pale yellow, juice sugary and well flavoured. 

42. Lemon Clingstone, Pme Jipple, or Kennedy's Lemon. — The 
fruit is rather large, oblong ; colour, in the shade, deep yellow, but 
of a dark- red next the sun ; the flesh is yellow, rich, vinous, a little 
acid. 

43. Prince's Blood Clingstone, Blood Clingstone, Claret Cling- 
stone. — The fruit is oval, and of a large size ; the skin is of a dark 
purplish colour, and very downy ; the flesh of a crimson or pur- 
plish tint ; suited for preseiTes and pickles. 

44. Monstrous Pavie of Pompoone, Gros Melecoton^ GrosPer- 
sique Rouge. — Fruit very large and round, downy, of a fine red and 
greenish white colour ; flesh white, deep red at the stone, juicy 
and vinous ; excellent for preserving; tree a good bearer. 

45. Old Newington. — This fruit is large and globular, of a fine 
bright red and pale yellow colour ; flesh yellowish white, very juicy, 
rich, sweet and well flavoured ; very productive. 

46. Diana. — A large, oblong peach ; colour white in the shade, 
but red next the sun ; flesh very juicy and delicious- 

47. Pavie Magdeleine, Pavie J5/anc, Melecoton, Myrecoton, Per- 
sique a Gros Fruit Blanc. — The fruit is large and downy ; white in 
the shade, and red next the sun ; flesh white, fine, melting, and 
of an agreeable musky flavour. 

48. Hotte's Lemon Clingstone. — This fruit isfof the largest 
size ; of a clear golden yellow in the shade, but bright red next 
the sun ; its form resembles a lemon, and some have weighed 
twelve ounces ; its flesh is firm, and is at maturity in New-York 
by the end of September. 

49. Yellov/^ Alberge Clingstone, Persais d'AngoumoiSy Pavie 
Jaun, Persecque Jaune. — Fruit of fine size and beautiful form ; the 
skin is velvety yellow where shaded, and speckled with reddish 
points ; the flesh is firm, rather dry, and almost breaking ; its co- 
lour is yellow. It is deemed an excellent fruit. 

50. Early Newington, Smith's J^ewington, Kew-York Early 
J^ewington. — ^This should have been placed first on our Us t of cling- 



PEAR TREES. 



273 



stones, as being the earliest. A much esteemed fruit ; its colour 
in the shade is white, but next the sun red ; its form is globular ; 
its flesh is juicy, rich and high flavoured. The tree is productive, 
and the fruit matures in August and September. 

PEARS. 

The first 18 are Summer, the next 24 Autumn, and the last 18 
Winter Peirs 

1. Musk Robine, Poire a la Reine, La Pnncesse, (Queen's 
Pear, Muscat Robert, Poire (V^mbre.— Fruit small, and of yellow 
colour; it ripens in July, and continues to the end of August ; 
of a rich musky flavour, a great bearer and much esteemed dessert 
fruit. . , 

2. London Sugar.— This fruit is below medmm size ; colour 
greenish yellow, tinged with brown; form turbinate narrowed at 
Sie crown; flesh tender, melting saccharine, of a rich musky fla- 
vour ;' an excellent early fruit, and very productive. Ripe in July. 

3. Madeleine, Magdalene, Citron des Carnies, Early Chau- 
monfeWe.— This pear is of medium size, pale yellow, with an oc- 
casional blush next the sun ; flesh white, melting, perfumed, 
A fine old fruit, ripe at the end of July. 

4. Premature.— Anew pear, about the size of the Crawford, 
but more juicy and delicious, and remarkably early ; it commands 
a good price in the markets of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is re- 
puted a most superior early fruit. 

5. Jargonelle, Epargne, Beau Present, Saint Samson, Grosse 
Cuisse Madame, Saint Lambert, Poire des Tables des Princes.— 
Fruit rather large, oblong, of a pale green colour ; flesh melting, 
juicy, with a slightly acid, rich and agreeable flavour. It ripens 
early in August, is one of the most productive of all pears, and 
the very best in its season. . 

6. Cuisse Madame, Epine d'Ete, Fondante Musque, Satin 
Vert, Satin Green.— Fruit of smallish size ; greenish yellow at 
maturity ; pyramidal ; flesh melting, juicy, musky, nch, and ex- 
cellent. Ripe by the middle of August. 

7. GreenChissel.— Fruit nearly globular; skin green, but 
slightly brown next the sun ; flesh gritty, saccharine, a httle per- 
fumed ; the fruit grows in clusters, and ripens early in August. 
The tree is of feeble growth, but very productive. 

8. August Muscat, Aurate, Muscat d'Aout, Musk, or Spice.— 
Fruit of medium size; turbinate, flattened ; colour yellow, but 
light red next the sun ; flesh breaking, saccharine and perfumed. 
It succeeds tolerably on the quince, and ripens early in August. 

9. Cassolette, Friolet, Lechefrion, Muscat Verd, Poire de 
Sillerie, Verdasse, Green Muscat.— A small pyriform fruit, of a 
bright green colour, slightly red next the sun ; flesh breaking, of 
a sweet and musky flavour; ripens in August. 

10. Sabine d'Ete.— This pear is of pyramidal form, termi- 
nating in a round blunt point at the stalk ; colour yellow ; but 



274 PEAR TREES. 

fine scarlet next the sun ; the whole surface smooth, regular, and 
poHshed ; flesh white, melting, juicy, and highly perfumed, the 
tree is an abundant bearer, and ripens its fruit in August. 

11. Seigneur d'Ete'. — Fruit above the middle size ; a blunt 
oval ; colour fine orange, but bright scarlet next the sun, and 
marbled ; flesh melting, free from grit ; a rich and beautiful pear. 
The tree is handsome and bears well ; its fruit ripens early in 
September. 

12. RoussELET DE Rheims, Petit Rousselet. — Fruit small, 
pyramidal, greenish yellow at maturity, but brown red next the 
sun, with russetty spots ; flesh half beurre, fine, very perfumed. 
Good to put in brandy and to dry. Ripens end of August. 

13. Williams' Bonchretien, -Sarflef. — This fruit oiiginated 
with a Mr. Wheeler in Berkshire, England, but was subsequently 
extensively propagated by Mr. Williams near London — hence its 
name. The fruit is large, oblong ; the stalk thick and fleshy, an 
inch long; the colour at maturity, yellow tinged with red ; flesh 
whitish, very melting, and delicate ; juice perfumed, sweet and 
abundant. Tree very productive, and fruit ripe at the end of 
August. 

14. Windsor, Caisse Madame, of the French. — A middle 
sized oblong pear ; colour green, but brownish red next the sun ; 
half melting, sweet, a Uttle musky, rather coarse ; ripe by the end 
of August. 

15. Summer Bonchretien, Bonchretien d'Ete, Gracioli, of the 
French. — Fruit very large, irregular, knobby ; skin smooth, of 
pale yellow colour, but slightly red next the sun ; flesh whitish 
yellow, firm and breaking; juice sweet and very agreeable. It 
ripens early in September. 

16. Summer Bergamot, Hamdeti's Bergamot, Milan Blanc, 
Bergamot d'Ete, Milan de la Beuvriere. — Fruit of medium size, 
globular, depressed ; colour greenish yellow, russetted and 
speckled next the sun ; flesh melting, juicy, saccharine and high 
flavoured. At maturity by the middle of September. 

17. Dearborn's Seedling. — This new variety originated in 
the garden of the Hon. H. A. S. Dearborn of Roxbury. The 
tree is of vigorous growth ; fruit of medium size, rounded at the 
crown, and regularly diminishes in a parabolic manner to the 
stalk ; the skin is smooth, thin green with russet spots ; at ma- 
turity it turns to a deUcate yellow ; flesh very melting, and of the 
finest flavour. 

18. Julienne, op Coxe, V Archiduc D^ EHe, Summer Beurre, 
Summer Doyenne, Summer St. Michael, so called near Boston, 
Bloodgood Pear of New York. — Fruit medium size, smooth, bright 
yellow at maturity, with a faint blush next the sun ; form rather 
ovate, tapering towards the stalk ; flesh perfectly melting, rich 
and juicy. The tree bears young and most profusely, and ma- 
tures its fruit early in September. 

19. Autumn Colmar.— Fruit middle size, oblong; of a pale 
yellow colour, with much thin russet next the sun ; flesh rather 
gritty but mellow, with a sugary and slightly perfumed juice. 



PEAR TREES. 275 

A new, hardy, Flemish variety, ripening its fruit early in Oc- 
tober. 

20. Belle et Bonne, Schone unci gute, Belle de Bruxelles. — 
" A harvest pear, magnificent," very large, globular, depressed, 
the stalk long ; skin greenish yellow, but next the sun yellow, 
•with spots of russet; flesh white, sweet, exceeding rich and 
agreeable ; perfumed. The tree is very productive, and the fruit 
ripens in September. 

21. Moor Fowl Egg. — Fruit small, globular, ovate, swollen 
in the middle, orange brown next the sun, with spots of russet ; 
flesh yellowish white, a Httle gritty, tender mellow, saccharine, a 
little perfumed. This is a hardy Scotch fruit, ripe end of Sep- 
tember. 

22. Bezy de Montignt, Troiive de Montigny. — Fruit medium 
size, pyramidal, compressed towards the summit ; colour yellow ; 
flesh white, a httle gritty, very melting; sweet, musky. It suc- 
ceeds on the quince. Ripe in September. 

23. Elton. — A pear of medium size, oval form, broadest to- 
wards the crown; colour greenish russetty gray, but russetty 
orange next the sun ; flesh breaking, and of an excellent flavour. 
Ripe in September. 

24. Delices d'Ardenpont, Delices d'Hardenpont, De Tou- 
louse, — Fruit medium size ; skin a little thick, smooth, green, but 
yellow at maturity ; flesh white, nearly melting ; juice pleasant, 
sweet and abundant. Ripe in October. 

25. Seckle. — An excellent native fruit, size varying from 
small to medium; colour varying from yellowish to brownish 
russet ; but generally red next the sun ; flesh of a melting, spicy, 
and of a most extraordinary rich and deUcious flavour. It ripens 
the middle of September, and the fruit grows in clusters, in great 
abundance. 

26. Urbaniste. — The fruit is piramidally ovate ; skin pale 
green, inclining to yellow ; flesh white, but reddish yellow next 
the core ; it is quite melting, juicy, and very sweet, with a little 
perfume. It ripens from the middle of September to November. 

27. Marie Louise. — Fruit oblong, tapering towards both 
ends ; size varying from medium to large ; skin nearly smooth, 
yellowish green, and cinnamon coloured russet; flesh white, 
melting, juicy and rich. It ripens in October, and is described as 
an excellent fruit. 

28. Doyenne Santelete. — A new fine handsome Flemish 
pear. Fruit above the middle size, pyramidally oblong ; skin 
pale green, speckled with gray russet ; flesh white, a little gritty, 
but tender ; juice saccharine, with a slight musky perfume. 
The tree is hardy, and ripens its fruit early in October. 

29. Gray Doyenne, Red Doyenne^ Doyenne Gris, Doyenne 
Roux, Doyenne d'Automne. — Fruit medium sized; colour bright 
crimson russet, but red next the sun ; flesh yellowish white, melt- 
ing, saccharine, rich and of excellent flavour. Season, October 
^nd November. 

30. AsHTON Town.— The fruit is small, of a greenish colouPj 



276 PEAR TREES. 

spotted with russet; the flesh is melting, high flavoured, richly 
Sugared and perfumed. It is in perfection in October and No- 
vember. 

31. Autumn Bergamot, Common Bergamot, York Bergamot. — 
Fruit globular depressed, the skin rough, yellowish green, and 
dull brown ; flesh pale, melting, juicy, sugary, and perfumed; 
ripe in September and October. " A first rate pear. 

32. Golden Beurre op Bilbo a. — Fruit of medium size ; ob- 
long ; colour a bright golden yellow, with patches of russet ; 
perfectly melting and of fine flavour. A beautiful fruit, a great 
bearer, and worthy of cultivation. 

33. Hacon's Incomparable. — Fruit middle sized, of pale yel- 
low colour, mixed with green, partially covered with orange russet ; 
flesh yellowish white, slightly gritty, but very tender, juicy, sweet 
and rich ; and possessing a high musky and perfumed flavour. 
The tree is a great bearer, and the fruit excellent, and is in per- 
fection in November and December. A silver medal was given 
for a specimen of this fruit, as a prize, in England, 1830. 

34. Duchess op Angouleme, Diichesse cVAngouleme. — A pear 
of first rate excellence. Form roundish, oblong, tapering towards 
the stalk ; skin dull yellow, with broad russet patches ; flesh 
rich, melting, very juicy, and high flavoured, with a most agreeable 
perfume. Specimens of this fruit have been seen in England, 
weighing twenty-two ounces. In perfection in November and 
December. 

35. Green Stlvange, Sylvange Vert, Bergamotte Sylvange. — 
A most superior pear, above the medium size, of green colour, 
skin rough, and speckled with gray or black. The flesh is 
greenish near the skin, white in the centre, soft, saccharine and 
juicy. Fruit in perfection from October to January. The tree 
is a great bearer, and specimens of the fruit have been known to 
weigh thirteen ounces. 

36. Bishop's Thumb. — Fruit over medium size, very oblong ; 
it is twice as long as broad, and tapers to its summit ; colour 
dark green, and brownish red, with iron coloured russet ; flesh 
yellowish green, melting, juicy, rich and excellent; ripening in 
October. 

37. Brown Beurre, Beurre Rouge, Beurre d'Or, Beurre Dole, 
Beurre du Roi, Beurre iVJlmboise, Jsambert, Red Beurre, Golden 
Beurre. — This was formerly considered the best of all pears. 
Fruit rather large, of greenish yellow, and dusky red colour, 
covered with thin russet ; flesh melting, buttery, rich and excel- 
lent. In perfection in October, and will often keep till January. 

38. Princesse d'Orange, Princess of Orange. — The fruit is 
roundish ; the skin bright reddish orange russet ; flesh yellowish 
white, sugary and rich, in some seasons perfectly melting, but 
occasionally a little gritty. A beautiful pear, and of good quality 
in October. 

39. Swan's Egg. — Fruit small, oval, turbinate; colour yel- 
lowish green and dull russetty brown ; flesh tender and melting, 
with a rich, saccharine, musky flavour. An excellent fruit, ripe in 



PEAR TREES. 277 

October. The tree is remarkably tall, upright, vigorous, and 
productive. 

40. Charles d' Autriche, Charles of Austria.— A fine and 
beautiful fruit, large, three and a half inches long, and three 
inches broad ; colour greenish yellow, with brown spots and partly 
russetted j flesh white, melting, juicy, and dehcious. Ripe in 
October. 

41. Gansel's BetmauoTj' Broca's Bergamot, Ives^s Bergamoty 
Bonne Rouge. — Fruit varying from medium size to large ; ovate, 
flattened ; colour dull green, slightly red next the sun ; flesh 
white, melting, sweet, rich and high flavoured. A delicious pear, 
ripe in October and good till Christmas. 

42. ]Sapoleon, JV/e(/aiZ/e, Sauvageon Liart. — Fruit large, form 
of the Colmar ; skin smooth ; colour bright gi-een, but at ma- 
turity, pale green ; flesh very melting, with an unusual abimdance 
of rich agreeable juice. At perfection in October and November. 

43. Beurre d'Aremberg, Beurre cPArembert, Due d^Aremberg, 
Poire d'Aremberg, Beurre Deschamps, Beurre Orplielins of Des- 
champs. — The English and French wTiters speak of this pear as 
one of the best in cultivation. The tree is a great bearer, comes 
early into cultivation, and the fruit will keep till March. Fruit 
large, turbinate ; skin of a dehcate pale green, dotted with russet, 
which becomes a deeper yellow at maturity; flesh wliitish, fine, 
very juicy, perfectly melting, and very extraordinarily rich, sweet, 
high flavoured and excellent. 

44. Easter Eergamot, Bergamotte Bugi, Bergamotte de Pa- 
ques, Bergamotte d'Hiver, La Grillieu, Paddington, Tarling, Win- 
ter Bergamot. — Fruit rather large, short, roundish turbinate; 
swollen at the crown ; colour yellow at maturity ; half beurre; 
sweet and good. In perfection from December to May. 

45. Francreal, Fin, or d'Hiver, Francreal d' River. — The tree 
is very productive ; it succeeds well on the quince ; fruit globu- 
lar ; colour yellowish green, but brownish red next the sun, and 
a little mssetty ; good to cook from October to mid-winter. 

46. Beurre Diel, DieVs Butterbirne, Dorothee Royale, Beurre 
de Gelle, Beurre Royale, Poire de Melon. — This ranks amongst the 
best of pears. The tree is of vigorous growth ; fruit when in 
perfection, four inches long, and three inches broad ; the skin at 
maturity is bright orange, with reddish russet; flesh clear white, 
tender, melting, and juicy, and of a deUcious aromatic flavour ; 
from November to January. 

47. Beurre Range, Beurre Epine, Hardenpont de Printemps. — 
This is said to be a first rate pear. The tree is vigorous and a 
good bearer ; fruit middle sized, oblong ; skin deep green ; flesh 
green, melting, having a delicious rich flavour, with very httle 
acid. It shrivels in ripening, but will keep till April. 

43. Gloria, Colmar d'Hiver, — A name implying every thing 
that is excellent. A melting pear of superior quality ; shape 
varying from nearly globular to pear shaped ; colour yellowish 
green ; flesh firm, juicy, and of excellent flavour ; at perfection 
in January and February. 



£7S PEAR TREES. 

49. Holland Bercamot, Bergamotte cfHolUind, D'Mencon.-^ 
Fruit very large, globular, but broadest at the crown, flattened j 
of greenish yellow colour ; flesh half breaking, juicy, and high 
flavoured ; it keeps till May, and succeeds on the quince. 

50. Saint Germain, Inconnue la Fare.— This celebrated ancient 
fruit is large, of a green colour, covered with russet spots; at ma- 
turity a yellowish cast ; its flesh very melting, juicy, saccharine, 
slightly acid, and delicious 5 it ripens in November, and may be 
kept till March. 

51. Monarch.— A new pear, considered by Mr. Knight as with- 
out a rival. The tree is represented of rapid growth, and an 
abundant bearer ; fruit large, of an extraordinary musky flavour, 

and deemed excellent for Perry. Season in England, December 
and January. 

52. CoLMAR, Poire Manne, Bergamotte Tardive, Incomparable. — ■ 
This fruit is rather large ; skin smooth, of a green colour, chang- 
ing to yellow at maturity ; form pyramidal ; flesh melting, juicy, 
sacchanne, and of excellent flavour ; the fruit is in perfection 
from November to February. 

53. Easter Beurre, Bergamotte de la Pentecote, Beiirre d'Hiver 
de Bruxelles, Doyenne deliver, de Bruxelles, Bezi Chaumontelle Tres 
Gros, — Of all the late keeping pears, this is considered the best, 
(for England.) Fruit large, roundish, oblong j colour green, bat 
yellow at maturity, with specks of russet brown ; flesh yellowish 
>vhite, perfectly buttery and melting, and extremely high flavour- 
ed ; it is eatable in November, and will keep till May j it is a 
most profuse bearer, on a quince stock. 

54. Passe Colmar, Fondante de Panisel, Passe Colmar Gris dit 
Precel, Poire Precel, Passe Colmar Epineux, Beurre Colmar Gris 
dit Precel, Beurre d'Argenson, Chapmans. — A most valuable pear, 
of medium size, conical, flattened next the eye ; skin at maturity 
yellowish, sprinkled with russet, a tinge of red next the sua ; flesh 
yellowish, melting, juicy, rich and exceUent. The tree is a good 
bearer, and the fruit is in perfection from November to February. 

55. Flemish Bon Chretien, Bon- Chretien J^ouvelle Espece. — 
Fruit large, oblong, turbinate ; skin at maturity yellow, mottled 
with russet next the sun j flesh yellowish white, breakino-, a little 
gritty, but mellow at maturity ; juice saccharine, with a slight 
musky perfume ; season from November till February. 

56.'Glot Morceau, Gloux Morceaux. — A very large Belgic 
variety, of great excellence ; fruit of ovalish form, pale green co- 
iour, inchning to yellow, with russetty specks and blotches ; flesh 
whitish, firm, very juicy and excellent ; in perfection from No- 
vember to March. 

57. Poire de Anana, Poire d' Ananas. — A new Flemish variety, 
held in high esteem ; a winter fruit, of medium size, very hand- 
some, melting, with a fine pine apple flavour, (hence its name 
Ananas ;) ripening in November, and good till March ; the tree 
is of dwarfish habits, and flowering freely, and at the extremity of 
the branches. 

58. Winter Bonchretien, Bonchretien d'Hiver, Poire d^Jln- 



PLUM TREES. 279 

^oise.—Very large, colour at maturity yellow, with a slight stain 
of red next the sun ] form truncated, or pyramidal ; flesh 
breaking, rather sweet and juicy. This variety, though enor- 
mously large, is Very liable to crack, but is sometimes preserved 
sound till May. 

59. Chaumontel, Bezy de Chaumontelle, Beiirre cfHiver — This 
noble old variety is a fruit varying in size, from large to very 
large ; its colour at maturity yellow, tinged with red next the sun; 
its form variable ; flesh melting, juicy, sweet, musky, excellent ; 
season from November to February. 

60. Cardinale, Poire (PMiiral, Mmird.—The tree is of me- 
dium vigour, its young wood of medium size, and of a red colour ; 
a superb oblong pear, of a pyramidal form ; yellow in the shade, 
but beautiful red next the sun ; flesh white, half melting, coarse 
grained, but very juicy, sweet and agreeable ; it keeps till March, 
and merits to be better known. 



PLUMS. 

1. Precoce de Tours, Early Tours.— The tree is vigorous and 
fertile ; fruit small, oval, dark purple, covered with fine bloom ; 
flesh greenish yellow, tender, juicy, and of very agreeable flavour ; 
one of the best early varieties, and very productive ; ripe at the 
end of July. 

•2. Great Damask Violet op Tours, Gros Damas de Tours. — 
This plum is of dark purple colour, covered with bloom ; the flesh 
is whitish, firm, sweet, pretty rich, and of a very pleasant flavour; 
it ripens towards the end of July, and is in perfection early in 
August. 

3. Morocco, Early Black DamasTc, Black Damascus, Black Mo- 
rocco, Early Damask, Early ^Morocco. — This is considered as one of 
the best of early plums. The tree is very hardy and producUve ; 
fruit middle sized, roundish ; skin deep blackish purple, covered 
with a light blue bloom ; flesh greenish yellow, juicy, rich and 
high flavoured ; ripe early in August. 

4. Nectarine Plum, Caledonian, HcwelVs Large, Prune Peche. 
— One of the most beautiful plums known ; large, nearly round ; 
the skin at maturity varies from red to crimson, covered with 
azure bloom ; flesh yellowish, coarse grained, astringent; juice 
abundant, and of mild, pleasant flavour; at maturity early in 
August. 

5. Jaune Hative, Prune de Catalogue, Prune de St. Barnabe, 
Catalonian, White Primordian, Amber Primordian. — Fruit small, 
round, and of a yellow colour ; ripens in the end of July ; flesh 
mealy ; tree a great bearer; and the fruit chiefly esteemed for it.s 
precocity. 

6. Blue Perdrigon, Perdrigon Violet. — This plum may be 
ranked among the choice varieties ; its form is nearly round, of 
medium size, and of purple colour; its flesh is greenish, partially 
melting, and moderately sweet and rich ; it ripens at aijout the 
middle of August. 

26 



280 PLUM TREES. 

7. Early Orleans, Ham/ifon Court. — Fruit of largish size and 
oval form ; of a red colour ; ripening about the middle of August j 
the flesh is of a rich juicy flavour, and the tree a great bearer. 

8. WiLMOx's New Early Orleans, WilmoPs Orleans, — This 
plum is of medium size and round form ; its sature deep ; of a 
dark purplish hue, covered with a fine bloom ; the flesh is green- 
ish yellow, of excellent flavour, sweet, combined with a pleasant 
acid. It is a handsome plum, ripening early in August. 

9. New- York Purple, BrevoorVs Purple Bolmcr. — An excellent 
fruit, raised from a seed of the Washington Plum, that had been 
impregnated with the pollen of the Blue Gage. The fruit is very 
large, of a rich and brisk flavour ; the flesh adheres to the stone ; 
ripe about the middle of August. 

10. Blue Gage, ^zure Hative. — This fruit is of medium size, 
and of a roundish, oval shape ; skin violet, powdered with a 
a Hght blue bloom, with pale yellow dots •, flesh greenish amber, 
rich, sugary and high flavoured ; ripe in August. 

11. Chester, Matchless. — This plum is of oval form, and of a 
dark blue colour, with a partial violet bloom ; the flesh is dark 
yellow, rich, and full of sweet and pleasant juice ; the fruit ripens 
in August, and the tree produces abundantly. 

12. FoTHERiNGHAM, Sheer Plum. — This friut is of large size, 
the form oblong, with a deep sature ; the skin is of a deep red 
colour ; the flesh is white, firm and crisp, rich, juicy, and of fine 
flavour ; at perfection in August. 

13. Royal de Tours. — The tree is of [extraordinary vigorous 
growth ; its principal stem rises vertically ; the fruit is globular, 
of red violet colour, covered with azure bloom j flesh yellow, fine, 
good ; juice abundant and sweet ; ripens in August. 

14. Maitre Claude. — I'his fruit is of large size and round 
form ; skin of a bright yellow colour, with dark red spots, and is 
covered with a thin white bloom ; the flesh is pale yellow and 
firnj,^ with sweet and sprightly juice ; ripens in August. 

15', Washington, Jfcio ifashington, Bolmer^s Washington, 
Franklin, Imperial Gage, Superior Gage. — A very, large, globular 
plum, inclining to oval ; greenish yellow next the sun, with crim- 
son specks, covered with a rich bloom. This plum has sometimes 
weighed over four ounces ; its flesh is yellow and firm, sweet 
and delicious, but not considered equal in flavour to the Green 
Gage ; ripe in August. 

16. Green Gage, Great Queen Claudia, Dauphine, Grosse Reine 
Claude, Mricot Vert, Verte Bonne, Large Green Claudia, Gros Da- 
mas Vert. — A middle sized, round fruit, of a yellowish green co- 
lour, and purplish russety red next the sun ; the flesh is of a 
greenish hue, melting, with abundance of very sweet and highly 
perfumed juice, of an exquisite taste ; it arrives at maturity to- 
wards the end of August. 

17. Lucombe's Nonsuch. — This plum is large, compressed at 
the summit and base, its breadth two inches ; its colour at ma- 
turity, as well as its form, resembles the Queen Gage, but more 
streaked with yellow ; flesh firm, rich and juicy ; at maturity by 
the end of August ; tree a good bearer. 



PLUM TREES. 281 

18. Italian Damask, Damas dltalie.— Tins fruit is rather large, 
its form globular, a little flattened at the base; blue or violet next 
the sun, and covered with a purple bloom ; its flesh is yelloM', 
rich and juicy, and the tree, which matures its fruit by the end of 
August, IS very productive. 

19. Bleecker's Gage.— This plum is stated to have been 
raised by the Rev. Mr. Bleecker, of Albany, from the stone of a 
German Prune ; it is described as a large, globular fruit, of ex- 
cellent quality, and a great bearer. 

20. Cooper's Large Red, Cooper'' s Large American. — This plum 
is of extraordinary size, measuring within an eighth of two inches 
in each direction ; the skin is of a fine dark purple colour ; the 
flesh is yellowish green, rich, juicy, and of pleasant flavour ; 
the fruit makes excellent preserves, if gathered in August ; its 
great defect is an inclination to rot. 

21. Kirke's Plum. — This variety is said to be as hardy and 
prolific as the Orleans, as handsome as the Damask, and as good 
as the Green Gage. Fruit large, roundish, oval ; skin covered 
with a close, firm, azure bloom, through which appears a few 
golden specks ; flesh greenish yellow, firm, juicy and rich ; in per- 
fection the early part of September. 

22. Red Diaper, Diapree Rouge, Roche Corhon. — One of the 
most beautiful plums known ; form oval, two inches and one 
third in length, a little pear shaped ; colour bright red, with a 
partial degree of bloom, and speckled with dots of deeper red ; 
flesh greenish yellow, soft and sweet, but coarse ; its quality does 
not correspond with its appearance, but they make excellent 
prunes, if gathered early in September. 

.23. Goliath, Goliah, St. Cloud.— This fruit is very large, some- 
times weighing four ounces ; the skin is a deep reddish purple, 
the flesh pale, firm, and well flavoured, but riot rich ; the tree is 
a great bearer, and the fruit much used for cooking ; ripe in Sep- 
tember. 

24. Imperial Diadem. — A large fruit, admirably adapted for 
culinary purposes ; shape oval ; colour pale red, but dark when 
mature, which is about the middle of September ; it is of good fla- 
vour, and highly perfumed. 

25. Jerusalem. — The tree is vigorous and productive ; fruit 
beautiful ; its form oval ; skin thick, blue next the sun, covered 
with an elegant bloom ; flesh yellowish, coarse grained, but melt- 
ing ; juice abundant, high flavoured and sweet; a large, hand- 
some fruit, ripe early in September. 

26. Diamond Plum. — Some consider this as the largest plum 
known ; its colour is a dark purple ; in form it resembles the 
Magnum Bonum, but its flavour is considered rather superior ; 
the tree, which grows vigorously, originated with Mr. Hooker, in 
Kent, England. 

27. Red Queen Mother. — This plum is large, its colour bright 
red, covered witb pale bloom ; its flesh is yellow, sweet and ex- 
cellent, ripening in September. 

28. La Roiale, Royale. — A large and excellent plum,, of a 



282 PLUM TREES. 

homely dull red colour, but concealed by a thick violet or azure 
bloom ; flesh fine, yellowish green, firm, juicy, high flavoured and 
delicious ; a superior plum, at maturity in September, 

29. MiMMS, Minimis Plum. — The fruit is very large, a little 
oblong ; colour bright purple, covered with thick bloom ; its flesh 
is yellowish green, tender, juicy, and very agreeably flavoured ; 
ripe in September. 

30. SuRPASSE MoNsiKTJR. — A large fruit, of oval form, and of a 
dark red purplish colour, raised by a Mr. Noisette ; it is said to 
be more beautiful and perfumed than the Monsieur, and the tree 
yields suckers which produce fruit in all their beauty and excel- 
lence. 

31. Purple Gage., Reine Claude Violette, Die Violette, Konigen 
Claudie. — This fruit is large, almost round, and considered in 
France as one of the finest varieties ; its skin is of violet purple co- 
lour, with pale yellow dots, and covered with a light blue bloom ; 
flesh greenish amber, rich, saccharine and high flavoured ; at 
maturity in September. 

32. Virgin ALE. — This fruit ranks among the best of plums ; its 
shape is round, colour yellowish, touched with violet or rose, and 
covered with dense bloom ; flesh melting, juice abundant, and 
very agreeable. 

33. Red Magnum Bonum, Imperial Violette, of the French. — A 
large, oval plum, of deep red colour, covered with blue bloom ; 
flesh yellowish, harsh and acid ; consequently good for cooking, 
preserves, &c. Fit for use in September. 

34. Red Perdrigon, Perdrigon Rouge^ — An excellent plum, of 
the first class, of medium size, oval shape, and fine red colour, 
with gold coloured dots and a fine bloom ; flesh bright yellow, 
transparent ; juice sweet and delicious. Peeled and dried in 
September, it makes excellent prunes. 

35. WiNESOUR, Rotherham, of the old gardens. — This plum is 
excellent for sweetmeats ; it is of smallish size, oblong form, and 
of dark purple colour ; the flesh is yellow, juicy, and of a pleasant 
acid flavour ; the fruit is fit for use by the end of September ; the 
tree is a great bearer, and will grow on any soil, but flourishes 
most on limestone or gravel. 

36. Apricot Plum, Prune Ahricote, Mricottee de Tours. — The 
fruit is large, its form globular, depressed, divided by a deep sa- 
ture J whitish yellow, but faint red next the sun, and covered 
with bloom ; its flesh is firm, juicy, sweet, musky and excellent ; 
it ripens in September. 

37. Coe's Golden Drop, Coe''s Imperial, Bury Seedling, JVcw 
Golden Drop, Fair^s Golden Drop. — Raised by Mr. Coe, of Bury, 
Norfolk, Eng. The tree is vigorous, fruit of medium size ; skin 
greenish yellow, spotted with violet and crimson ; flesh gold co- 
lour, rich and excellent ; the fruit ripens at the end of September, 
and will keep several weeks. A first rate fruit. 

38. Fringe's Imperial Gage, Princess White Gage. — This tree 
was originated at the Flushing nursery, from a seed of the Green 
Gage. The fruit is one of the largest of its class ; the skin at, 



PLUM TREES. 283 

Miaturity is yellow, dotted with red ; the flesh is rich, luscious, 
and of excellent flavour, and makes fine preserves, if gathered 
towards the end of August ; at maturity in September. 

39. Saint Catharine. — A medium sized, oblong fruit ; skin 
bright gold colour, spotted with red at maturity, and covered 
with bloom : flesh yellow, tender, sweet, and of fine flavour ; 
ripens in September. 

40. Late White Damson, White Damascene, White Winter 
Damson, Frost Plum — This variety is very productive, the fruit 
hanging in numerous clusters along the branches. The fruit is 
oval, of a greenish white colour, marked with brown spots ; the 
flesh is juicy, and of pleasant flavour ; it ripens in September, and 
continues on the tree several weeks. 

41. White Magnum Bonum, Imperiale Blanche, Egg Plum, 
White Mogul, White Holland. — This fruit is of extraordinary size, 
oval, yellow, covered with pale bloom ; the flesh yellow, firm, 
acid and austere ; excellent for cooking and preserves, in Sep- 
tember. 

42. White Perdrigon, Perdrigon Blanc. — A middle sized, ob- 
long fruit, of a pale yellow, with red spots, and covered with white 
bloom ; flesh yellow, rich, saccharine and juicy ; it ripens in 
September. 

43. Imperatrice. — Oneof the best of late plums; fruit medium 
size, oval ; skin fine violet, covered with bloom ; flesh yellowish 
next the sun, a Uttle firm, and very sweet, rich and juicy at matu- 
rity, which is from October to December. 

44. Prune Suisse, Semiana, Prune d'Altesse, Monsieur Tardif. — 
Fruit very handsome, round, flattened ; colour varving from bright 
violet red, to deep blackish blue, and covered wiih azure bloom ; 
flesh greenish yellow, crackling and melting ; juice very abun- 
dant and dehcious ; an excellent fruit, ripening in September and 
October. 

45. DowNTON Imperatrice. — A superior late plum, of medium 
size ; skin dark yellow, and very thin ; the flesh yellow, soft, 
juicy, with a high flavoured acidity j at perfection in October. 

46. Late Black Damson, Damas Jfoir, Damas Jfoir Tardif. — 
An excellent fruit, of dark purple colour, almost black, and cover- 
ed with bloom; the flesh is rather firm, yellowish green, sweet, 
and slightly perfumed v/henat maturity. 

47. Late Purple Damson, Purple Winter Damson, Blue Da- 
mascene, Blue Damson. — This variety is in great esteem for pre- 
serves, and generally commands a high price. It is of a dark 
purple colour, covered with bloom ; the flesh has rather too much 
acidity for a table fruit, but this tartness gives it an agreeable fla- 
vour when cooked. 

45. Shropshire Damson, Damson Plum. — This is a large va- 
riety of the damson,of fine quality and rich flavour, most excellent 
for preserves. It ripens in October and November, and the tree 
produces abundantly. 

49. Huling's Superb, Keyser^s Plum. — This plum is of mon- 
strous size, and has been known to weigh nearly four ounces ; 



284 PLUM TREES. 

it IS of roundish form, and a greenish yellow colour ; the flesh w 
sweet, rich and excellent. It was raised from seed by Mr. Key- 
ser, of Pennsylvania, and brought into notice by Dr. Wm. 
Hulings, of that State. 

50. Late Chalons, Tardif de Chalons. — This fruit is nearly 
oval, of a whitish yellow hue, tinged with red, and covered with 
bloom ; the flesh is yellowish, melting and very juicy ; ripe in 
October. 

In conclusion, it may be necessary to remind the reader, that,, 
as the preceding description of fruits is only intended as a continu- 
ation of the article "on the choice of fruit trees in the nursery," 
brevity was essentially requisite. It is presumed, however, that 
the explanation given will be found sufficient to direct the public 
attention to the most esteemed sorts of fruit. Those who may 
wish for more extensive information on this part of our subject, 
are referred to the works already alluded to, also to a work about 
to be published, entitled, "A Guide to the Orchard and Fruit Gar- 
den, or an Account of the most valuable Fruits cultivated in 
Great Britain, by George Lindley, C. M. H. S., edited by John 
]^indley, F. R. S., &c. First American, from the last London 
edition, containing notes, explanatory and practical, with nume- 
rous additions on the propagation, culture, pruning and training 
of Standards, Open Dwarf, and Espalier Fruit Trees, adapted to 
the climate of the United States, with additions of the most valu- 
able American Fruits, and other matters, useful to the American 
Horticulturist, by Michael Floy, Gardener and Nurseryman, New- 
York, and C. M. H. S., of London." 



285 



I'he following article was prepared for the February number of 
the "New-York Farmer, and American Gardener's Maga- 
zine," and is respectfully submitted as an appendage to thia 
work, by the author. 

THE MATRIMONIAL GARDEN. 

Man is formed for social enjoyment, and if it be allowed that 
" it is not good for man to be alone," it is equally true that it i& 
not good that woman should be alone ; hence a union of inte- 
rests indicates a union of persons for their mutual benefit. By 
this union, a sort of seclusion from the rest of our species takes 
place ; and as a garden is a retired apartment, appropriated to 
culture and improvements, the married state may not be inaptly 
compared with it in many respects. 

It is good and honourable for the human species prudently and 
cautiously to approach this delightful enclosure. Its entrance in 
general is extremely gay and glittering, being strewed with 
flowers of every hue and every fragance, calculated to charm the 
eye and please the taste ; but they are not all so ; and as there 
are many persons who may wish to enter this garden at some 
time or other, who are yet strangers to its various productions, 
their attention should be directed to the cultivation of those plants 
which are beneficial, and to the avoiding or rooting up of those 
which are injurious. 

And first, let me caution adventurers in this garden not to 
dream of permanent happiness ; if you should so dream, experi- 
ence will soon make you wiser, as such happiness never existed 
but in visionary heads. If you are desirous that this garden 
should yield you all the bhss of which it is capable, you must take 
with you that excellent flower called GOOD HUMOUR, which, 
of all the flowers of nature, is the most deUcious and deUcate ; do 
not drop it or lose it, as many do soon after they enter the gar- 
den — it is a treasure that nothing can supply the loss of. When 
you get to the end of the first walk, which contains about thirty 
steps, commonly called "f/ie Honey MoonPalh^'' you will see the 
garden open into avast variety of views, and it is necessary to 
caution you to avoid many productions in them whichare noxious, 
nauseous, and even fatal in their nature and tendency, especially 
to the ignorant and unwary. There is a low, small plant, which 
may be seen in almost every path, called INDIFFERENCE.— 
This, though not perceived in the entrance, you will always know 
where it grows, by a certain coldness in the air which surrounds 
It. Contrary to the nature of plants in general, this grows by 
cold and dies by warmth ; whenever you perceive this change io 
the air, avoid the place as soon as you can. In the same path is 
often found that baneful flower called JEALOUSY, which I 
advise you never to look at, for it has the strang-e quaUty of 
smiting' the eye that beholds it,with a pain that is seldom or never 
got rid of. Jealousy is a deadly flower; it is the aconite of the 
garden, and has marred the happiness of thousands. 



286 THE MATRIMONIAL GARDEN. 

As you proceed, you will meet with many little crooked paths. 
I advise you as a friend, never to go into them, for altliough at 
the entrance of each, it is written in large letters,! AM RIGHT, 
if you do enter, and get to the end of them, you will find the true 
name to be PERVERSENESS. These crooked paths occasion 
endless disputes, and as it is difficult to make thecrooked straight, 
it is better to avoid them altogether, lest, as it sometimes happens, 
a total separation be the consequence, and you take different 
paths the rest of your lives. Near this spot, you will meet with 
a rough, sturdy plant, called OBSTINACY, which bears a hard, 
knotty fruit, that never digests, and of course must injure the 
constitution; it even becomes fatal, when taken in large quanti- 
ties. Turn from it, avoid it as you would the cholera. 

Just opposite to this, grows that lovely and lively shrub, called 
COMPLIANCE, which, though not always pleasant to the pa- 
late, is. very salutary, and leaves a sweetness in the mouth; it is 
a most excellent shrub, and produces the most deUcious fruit. — 
Never be without a very large sprig in your hand ; it will often be 
wanted as you go along, for you cannot be happy without it in 
any part of the garden. 

In one of the principal compartments, stands a very important 
plant, called ECONOMY ; it is of a thriving quality ; cultivate 
this fine plant with all your care ; it adorns and enriches at the 
same time. Many overlook it, some despise it, and others think 
that they shall never want it ; it is generally overlooked in the 
gaiety and levity with which people enter this place, birt the want 
of it is generally paid for with bitter repentance. There are two 
other plants of the same species, which are very closely connect- 
ed, called INDUSTRY and FRUGALITY, and I must take 
leave to tell you that, unless both the male and the female par- 
take largely of their branches, very httle success can be 
expected ; in this they must both unite. Take care that you 
provide yourself and partner with a supply of each as soon a» 
possible after you enter the garden. 

There are tv»'o or three paths which run much into one another, 
and deserve the closest attention of the softer sex; I mean RE- 
GULARITY, EXACTNESS and NEATNESS. Do not 
think as some do, that when you have once got into the garden, 
you may be neglectful of these paths. Remember that your 
companion will see your neglect, which will affect his eye, and 
may alienate his heart. Enter on these departments then as 
eoon as you enter the garden, and when you are once fairly in, 
you are in for life ; the danger is, that if you do not get into them 
at an early period, you will not find them afterwards. Near 
these walks is to be found that modest plant, called HU- 
MILITY : 

It is the violet, " doom'd to blush unseen. 
And shed its sweetness on the desert air." 

It appears of httle worth in itself, but when joined with other vir- 
tues, it adds a charm to life, and spreads a fragrance around it» 



THE MATRIMONIAL GARDEN. 287 

nearer. Cultivate then, with all your care, this sweet little plant, 
and you will find it prevent the groAvth of all poisonous and 
noxious weeds. 

Allow me also to drop a hint on the subject of cultivation, as 
connected with propagation, as that most probably will be your 
employment in this garden sooner or later. Should you have the 
rearing of young plants, remember that they are frail in their na- 
ture, and hable to be destroyed by every blast, and will demand 
all your care and attention. Should you be witness to a blast on 
its dawning beauties, Oh, how your fond heart will bleed with 
tenderness, affection and sympathy ! The young shoot will na- 
turally twine around all the fibres of your frame. Should it live 
and thrive, spare no pains to " train it up in the way it should go." 
Weed it, water it, prune it; it will need all the cultivator's skill. 
Without this, many weeds and baneful plants will grow up with 
it, and blast your fondest hopes. Be ever mindful that this is a 
trust for which both parties are accountable. Without careful 
cultivation, what can you expect but the most luxuriant growth of 
unruly appetites, which, in time, will break forth in all manner of 
disgraceful irregularities? What, but that ANGER, like a 
prickly thorn, will arm the temper with an untractable morose- 
ness ? That PEEVISHNESS, Uke a stinging nettle, will render 
the conversation irksome and forbidding? That AVARICE, 
like some choking weed, will teach the fingers to gripe, and the 
hands to oppress ? That REVENGE, like some poisonous 
plant, replete with baneful juices, will rankle in the breast, and 
meditate mischief to its neighbour? While unbridled LUSTS, 
like swarms of noisome insects, taint each rising thought, and 
render "every imagination of the heart only evil continually ?" 
Such are the usual products of unrestrained nature ! Such the 
furniture of the uncultivated mind ! 

By all means, then, pay due attention to culture. By suitable 
discipline clear the soil. By careful instruction implant the seeds 
of virtue. By skill and vigilance prune the unprofitable and over- 
luxuriant branches : — "direct the young idea how to shoot," — the 
wayward passions how to move. The mature man will then be- 
come the chief ornament of the garden. Around him CHARITY 
will breathe her sweets, and in his branches HOPE expand her 
blossoms. In him the personal virtues will display their graces, 
and the social ones their fruit — the sentiments become generous, 
the carriage endearing, the life useful, and the end happy and 
peaceful. T. BRIDGEMAN, 

Bowery Road, January 14, 1833. 



TO 



INDEX 

VEGETABLES, HERBS, FLOWERS AND FRUITS. 





VEGETABLES. 






Page. 




Page. 


Artichoke 


11 


Mustard 


47 


Asparagus 


15,90,102 


Nasturtium 


48 


Beans, Eng. Dwarf 19, 92 


Okra 


49 


Beans, Kidney 


Dwarf 22, 92 


Onion 


49 


Beans, Pole or 


Running 23 


Parsley 


51 


Beet 


24 


Parsnip 


51 


Borecole & Brussels Sprouts 25 


Pepper 


52 


Broccoli 


26,93 


Peas 


53,99 


Cauliflower 


29,93 


Potatoes 


55, 100 


Cabbage 


31,85 


Potatoe, Sweet 


56 


Colewort, or Collards 33 


Pumpkins 


56 


Cardoons 


34 


Patience Dock 


57 


Carrot 


34 


Radish 


57, 101 


Celery 


35 


Rocambole 


58 


Chervil 


38 


Rhubarb 


59 


Chives 


38 


Salsify 


61 


Corn Salad, or 


Fctticus 39 


Scorzonara 


62 


Cress 


39 


Sea Kale 


63 


Cress, Water 


39 


Sorrel 


66 


Cucumber 


40, 94, 97 


Skirret 


66 


Egg Plant 


41,85 


Shallot 


67 


Endive 


42 


Spinach 


67 


Garden Burnet 


43 


Squash 


68 


Garlick 


58 


Tomato 


69,85 


Indian Corn 


43 


Turnip 


70 


Leek 


44 


Turnip, French or Navet 33 


Lettuce 


44,85 


Turnip, Russian 


72 


Melon 


45,98 


Horse Radish 


78 


Melon, Water 


47 


Mushroom 103, 


156,159,160 



HERBS AND FLOWERS. 

Annual Flower Seeds, a Catalogue of 
Aromatic Pot and Sweet Herbs, do. 
Biennial and Perennial Flower Seeds, Catalogue of 
Bulbous Flower Roots, Cultivation and Manage- 



ment of 
Climbing Plants 
Chrysanthemnms 
Dahlias, culture of 
Edgings, Lawns, &c. 
Flower Garden, Culture of 
Green House Plants, Management of 
Herbs, Medicinal, Culture of 
Herbs, Pot and Sweet, Culture of 
Herbs to Preserve 
Hop, Culture and Management of 



123, 
I, 115, 



111, 



81, 
74, 



Page. 

113 

78 

118 

159, 161 

120, 134 

148 

125 

112, 122 

116, 120 

144 

81 

79 

158, 160 

157, 159 



290 INDEX. 

Page. 

Roses, Running kinds of 143 

Shrubs, Flowering and Ornamental 133 

FRUITS. 

Page. Page. 

Apple 188,253 Medlar 229 

Apricot 191,263 Mulberry 230 

Almond 193 Nectarine 233,266 

Berberry 194 Orange, Lemon, &c. 235 

Cherry 196,264 Peach 237,268 

Chestnut 198 Pear 239, 273 

Cranberry 199 Plum 241,279 

Currant 201 auince 244 

Elder 202 Raspberry 245 

Fig 203 Strawberry 247 

Filbert and Hazlenut 205 Walnut 251 

Gooseberry 206 Whortleberry 253 
Grape 209 

INDEX TO THE GENERAL MATTER; Page. 
Air, Heat, Light and Moisture essential to vegetation 145, 147 

Ashes valuable to the Farmer 178 

Aspect, situation, &c. 2, 111, 165, 169 

Blank Book recommended 2, 84, 116, 151 

Calendar and Index 151 

Choice of Fruit Trees in the Nursery 255 

Cultivation of Flowers 116, 120, 123 

Diseases of Trees, Insects, &c. 174, 256 

Drilling, Mode of 5, 9 

Fencing 110, 152, 170 

Flower Garden 110 

Forcing Vegetables, Observations on 86, 102 
General Observations 1, 86, 110, 133, 165, 255 

Hedges of Shrubs 110,-134 

Hot Beds, Management of 58, 89, 153 
Insects, to Destroy • 3, 7, 153, 156, 164, 177 

Laying out the Ground 1, 10, 110, 172 

Manure, Compost, &c. 3, 10, 163 

Perennial Herbaceous Plants, to Propagate 12], 160 

Plan of Beds, &c. 83 

Planting Trees, Shrubs, &c. 134, 143, 154, 167, 256 

Pruning and Training 152, 164, 180, 257 

Rolling recommended 6, 9 

Soils, Management of 4, 166, 170 

Sowing Season 4 

Table of Estimates a 9 

Thermometer recommended v 89 

Transplanting Vegetables 9, 155, 158 

Vegetables, to Preserve 162 

Walks, Edgings, &c. 112, 122 

Watering of Plants 145, 147 

Matrimonial Garden 285 



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